Thompson, J, White, S and Chapman, SR (2020) Actual vs. Perceived Competency Development-How Can Virtual Patients Impact Pharmacist Pre-Registration Training? Pharmacy, 8 (3). ISSN 2226-4787

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Abstract

Virtual patients are an active learning pedagogical tool that simulate clinical scenarios. There is an established disparity in pre-registration examination pass rates depending on whether individuals complete their training in a community or hospital pharmacy. This study aimed to evaluate virtual patient (VP) and non-interactive (NI) case studies, concerning knowledge, skill and confidence development of pre-registration pharmacist trainees. A quasi-experimental evaluation was conducted. Pre-registration pharmacists completed three VP or NI case studies. Each case study was associated with a pre-and post-knowledge quiz. Pre-registration trainees were invited to complete a questionnaire consisting of Likert ranking statements and open-ended questions on the case study features, usability and individual development. Both learning tools significantly improved trainees' knowledge on the topic areas (except for the NI group in case study 3). Although no significant differences in knowledge improvement were identified between the learning tools, trainees who used the VP reported the development of a wider knowledge base and skill set, an increase in confidence for practice and an opportunity to apply their learning. The sector in which pre-registration pharmacists were completing their training (community or hospital) had a significant impact on knowledge improvement in the three case studies. Future research evaluating VPs with pre-registration and qualified pharmacists should be conducted to explore their benefits and establish their effectiveness as learning tools.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Uncontrolled Keywords: computer-based education, high fidelity simulation training, online learning, pharmacy education, pharmacy practice, virtual patients
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
R Medicine > R Medicine (General) > R735 Medical education. Medical schools. Research
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
R Medicine > RS Pharmacy and materia medica
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 17 Aug 2020 13:02
Last Modified: 29 Oct 2020 11:58
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/8560

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