Development and implementation of a transitions of care elective course

Abstract

Background: To develop and implement a transitions of care (TOC) course, assess students׳ knowledge, participation and communication skills during in-class activities, and obtain students׳ perspectives and feedback on the course. Educational Activity-this was a two-credit elective course offered to third professional year Doctor of Pharmacy students (P3) at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences. It was designed using an interactive, hands-on approach through the use of patient cases, simulation, interprofessional education, student presentations, and a capstone project. The content of the course included TOC concepts relevant to pharmacists practicing within different health care settings. Several assessments were used to evaluate the students using various rubrics and self-reflection. Quantitatively, the students achieved high grades on individual assignments ranging from B to A⁺. Critical analysis of the educational activity overall, the students described the course as a "great experience" based on the qualitative thematic analysis.

Conclusion: Developing and implementing a TOC elective provided P3 students with an opportunity to learn about pharmacists׳ role during various points of the TOC process and may have future implications in their performance on rotation and career choice.

Keywords: Active learning; Curriculum; Interprofessional education; Pharmacy; Transitions of care.