Pharmacy Student Attitudes to Patient Education: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: A significant level of interest in patient-centredness, one of the components required for effective interaction with patients, is being shown in health communication circles. By adopting a patient-centred approach in the process of patient consultation, pharmacists strive to ensure safe and effective medicine use. The purpose of this study was to explore pharmacy student attitudes toward patient education and patient-centredness as they progressed through a 4-year program. Methods: One class year of pharmacy students at the University of Saskatchewan volunteered to complete a self-administered survey each year of their program to longitudinally assess their confidence in and difficulty with patient consultation, their level of patient empathy and their orientation toward patient-centredness. Results: Noticeable changes were seen in all constructs, especially from first to second year. Gender appeared to influence 2 of the constructs: patient-centredness and empathy. Conclusion: A combination of overall life experience, pharmacy undergraduate training and practice site experience likely contributed to the observed results. While attempting to quantify such constructs is of interest and may turn out to be a useful monitoring component, observation of student behaviour during objective structured clinical exams likely will continue to be the most valuable tool.