You'll have to call the attending: Impact of a longitudinal, "real-time" case-based infectious diseases elective on entrustable professional activities to enhance APPE readiness

Elizabeth A Cady; Austin J Dillon; Kendra Bourland; Ilya Rybakov; David B Cluck; Michael P Veve

doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2024.04.008

You'll have to call the attending: Impact of a longitudinal, "real-time" case-based infectious diseases elective on entrustable professional activities to enhance APPE readiness

Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2024 Apr 26;16(8):102092. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2024.04.008. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Elizabeth A Cady¹, Austin J Dillon², Kendra Bourland³, Ilya Rybakov⁴, David B Cluck⁵, Michael P Veve⁶

Affiliations

¹ Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, 200 University Park Dr., Edwardsville, IL 62025, United States of America. Electronic address: ecady@siue.edu.
² HSHS St. John's Hospital, 800 East Carpenter St, Springfield, IL 62769, United States of America. Electronic address: austin.dillon@hshs.org.
³ HSHS St. John's Hospital, 800 East Carpenter St, Springfield, IL 62769, United States of America. Electronic address: kendra.bourland@hshs.org.
⁴ Hancock Regional Hospital, 801 N. State Street, Greenfield, IN 46140, United States of America.
⁵ UVA Health, 1215 Lee Street, Charlottesville, VA 22903, United States of America.
⁶ Wayne State University, College of Pharmacy, 259 Mack Ave, Detroit, MI 48201, United States of America. Electronic address: mpveve@wayne.edu.

PMID: 38670830
DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2024.04.008

Abstract

Background and purpose: Transitioning from the didactic to experiential setting is challenging for student pharmacists, perhaps due to lack of experiences providing "real-time" clinician interaction. We describe findings from a semester-long infectious diseases (ID) didactic elective that utilized a national cohort of preceptors and faculty across the United States to mimic clinician interaction and "real-time" ID management of various disease states. The mechanics of this elective provide a framework for others to implement to enhance advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) readiness.

Education activity and setting: Students enrolled in an ID elective course at a school of pharmacy participated in "real-time" acute care scenarios. They assisted in multidisciplinary management of a patient's infection, mimicking "rounds" on an APPE, via interaction with external pharmacist volunteers (playing the roles of other healthcare personnel). Additionally, students formally presented and discussed their cases within the class, further promoting learning while optimizing presentation skills. Pharmacist volunteers were surveyed to assess student performances as measured by four entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

Findings: A total of 48 volunteer opportunities occurred during two course offerings. Results from 43 surveys were analyzed (90% response rate). Of those responses, 22/24 (92%) played the role of attending physician, and 19/24 (79%) played the role of technician. Volunteers agreed that students met the four EPAs evaluated (agreement was 85-100%).

Summary: This semester-long elective provided "real-time" experience and feedback for pre-APPE students to enhance APPE readiness and reinforce EPAs. Students are likely to benefit from mimicked intra-professional interaction and augmented critical thinking skills that could be adapted to various disease states within pharmacy curricula.

Keywords: APPE readiness; Active learning; Assessment; Entrustable professional activities; Infectious diseases; Simulation.

Published by Elsevier Inc.