Assessing Preceptor and Student Perceptions of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Data Collection
2.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Rotation Characteristics
3.2. Practice Readiness
3.3. Overall Perceptions and Recommendations for the Future
3.4. Free-Response Questions
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Student Perception Survey of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning
- 1.
- APPE rotation conducted remotely (select one):
- ◯
- Community Practice
- ◯
- Ambulatory Care
- ◯
- Internal Medicine
- ◯
- Hospital Practice
- ◯
- Elective: Please specify
- 2.
- Percentage of APPE rotation conducted remotely:
- ◯
- Fall (8/2020–12/2020)
- ○
- 81–100% (between 24 and 30 days)
- ○
- 61–80% (between 18 and 24 days)
- ○
- 41–60% (between 12 and 18 days)
- ○
- 21–40% (between 6 and 12 days)
- ○
- ≤20% (6 days or less)
- ◯
- Fall (8/2020–12/2020)
- ○
- 81–100% (between 24 and 30 days)
- ○
- 61–80% (between 18 and 24 days)
- ○
- 41–60% (between 12 and 18 days)
- ○
- 21–40% (between 6 and 12 days)
- ○
- ≤20% (6 days or less)
- 3.
- Did you have access to Electronic Health Record?
- ◯
- Yes (select all that apply)
- ▯
- Remote access
- ▯
- On-site access
- ◯
- No
- 4.
- What type of remote APPE activities did you participate in (select all that apply):
- ◯
- Topic discussions
- ◯
- Journal club
- ◯
- Patient case presentation
- ◯
- Formal presentations (ex. P&T committee, in-services, staff meetings, etc)
- ◯
- Medical Team /Multi-disciplinary Team Rounds
- ◯
- Telehealth visits
- ◯
- ASHP competency modules
- ◯
- Others, please specify
Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements (0 = n/a, 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strong Agree): | ||||||
0 n/a | 1 Strongly Disagree | 2 Disagree | 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree | 4 Agree | 5 Strongly Agree | |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
- 10.
- Which parts of the remote rotation experiences should be continued? (select all that apply)
- ◯
- Topic discussions
- ◯
- Journal club
- ◯
- Patient case presentation
- ◯
- Formal presentations (ex. P&T committee, in-services, staff meetings, etc.)
- ◯
- Medical Team/Multi-disciplinary rounds
- ◯
- Telehealth visits
- ◯
- ASHP Competency modules
- ◯
- Virtual cleanroom
- ◯
- Others, please specify
- 11.
- My preceptor provided an effective remote learning experience for me
- 12.
- Free text response: What gaps remained in the remote rotation experiences?
Appendix B. Preceptor Perception Survey of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential Learning
- 1.
- Practice Area (select one):
- ◯
- Community Practice
- ◯
- Ambulatory Care
- ◯
- Internal Medicine
- ◯
- Hospital Practice
- ◯
- Elective: Please specify
- 2.
- Years of practice (select one):
- ◯
- 1–5 years
- ◯
- 6–10 years
- ◯
- 11–15 years
- ◯
- >15 years
- 3.
- Did the students have access to Electronic Health Record?
- ◯
- Yes (select all that apply)
- ▯
- Remote access
- ▯
- On-site access
- ◯
- No
- 4.
- What type of remote APPE activities did you utilize (select all that apply):
- ◯
- Topic discussions
- ◯
- Journal club
- ◯
- Patient case presentation
- ◯
- Formal presentations (ex. P&T committee, in-services, staff meetings, etc)
- ◯
- Medical Team /Multi-disciplinary Team Rounds
- ◯
- Telehealth visits
- ◯
- ASHP competency modules
- ◯
- Others, please specify
Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strong Agree): | |||||
1 Strongly Disagree | 2 Disagree | 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree | 4 Agree | 5 Strongly Agree | |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
- 13.
- Which parts of the remote rotation experiences should be continued? (select all that apply)
- ◯
- Topic discussions
- ◯
- Journal club
- ◯
- Patient case presentation
- ◯
- Formal presentations (ex. P&T committee, in-services, staff meetings, etc.)
- ◯
- Medical Team/Multi-disciplinary rounds
- ◯
- Telehealth visits
- ◯
- ASHP Competency modules
- ◯
- Virtual cleanroom
- ◯
- Others, please specify
- 14.
- Optional (free text)
References
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- The COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition. Telehealth Impact Study Work Group: Patient Survey Analysis. Available online: https://c19hcc.org/telehealth/patient-survey-Analysis (accessed on 24 February 2022).
APPE Student Survey (n= 43) (%) | APPE Preceptor Survey (n = 29) (%) | |
---|---|---|
Preceptor years of practice | ||
1–5 years | NA | 7 (24.1%) |
6–10 years | NA | 9 (31.0%) |
11–15 years | NA | 4 (13.8%) |
Greater than 15 years | NA | 9 (31.0%) |
Percent of APPE rotation conducted remotely | ||
81–100% (between 24 and 30 days) | 33 (76.7%) | NA |
61–80% (between 18 and 24 days) | 2 (4.7%) | NA |
41–60% (between 12 and 18 days) | 5 (11.6 %) | NA |
21–40% (between 6 and 12 days) | 2 (4.7 %) | NA |
Less or equal to 20% (6 days or less) | 1 (2.2 %) | NA |
Type of APPE rotation with remote experiences | ||
Practice-based Core rotations | 20/43 (46.2%) | 16/29 (55.2%) |
Ambulatory care | 12 (27.9%) | 11 (37.9%) |
Hospital practice | 6 (13.6%) | 2 (6.9%) |
Internal medicine | 2 (4.7%) | 2 (6.9%) |
Community practice | NA | 1 (3.5%) |
Elective rotations | 23/43 (53.5 %) | 13/29 (45.0%) |
Project-based electives | 12/43 (27.9%) | 8/29 (28%) |
Managed care | 8 (18.6%) | 2 (6.9%) |
Pharmaceutical industry | 1 (2.3%) | 3(10.3%) |
Other a,b | 3 (7.0%) a | 3 (10.3%) b |
Practice-based electives | 11/43 (25.6%) | 5/29 (17.2%) |
Geriatrics (Long-term care) | 3 (6.9%) | 1 (3.4%) |
Critical care | 2 (4.7%) | 1 (3.4%) |
Others c,d | 6 (14.0%) c | 3 (10.3%) d |
Types of remote experiences (Total number) | 133 | 102 |
Patient case presentations | 27 (20.3%) | 20 (19.6%) |
Topic discussions | 26 (19.5%) | 24 (23.5%) |
Formal presentations | 23 (17.3%) | 18 (17.6%) |
Journal club | 18 (13.5%) | 15 (14.7%) |
Telehealth visits | 14 (10.5%) | 8 (7.8%) |
Multi-Disciplinary team rounds | 8 (6.0%) | 6 (5.9%) |
ASHP competency modules | 6 (4.5%) | 3 (2.9%) |
Virtual clean room | 2 (1.5%) | NA |
Other e,f | 9 (6.8%) e | 8 (7.8%) f |
Questions | Weighted Average (out of 5) | % Agree or Strongly Agree |
---|---|---|
My remote activities were effective and advanced my practice knowledge and skills | 4.16 | 83.7% |
I feel confident that I can design and initiate individualized patient care plans or projects using evidence-based resources | 4.12 | 86% |
I feel confident that I can communicate effective care plans, presentations, or projects (verbal or written) | 4.30 | 93% |
My preceptor provided an effective remote learning experience for me | 4.42 | 90.7% |
Overall, I was satisfied with the remote activities that this APPE rotation offered | 4.21 | 86% |
I would recommend this remote experience in the future | 3.93 | 69.8% |
Questions | Weighted Average (out of 5) | % Agree or Strongly Agree |
---|---|---|
Students were able to adapt readily to the remote APPE learning environment | 4.38 | 89.7% |
Students achieved the rotation objectives at the same level as in-person | 3.76 | 68.9% |
I felt confident in my ability to deliver an effective remote APPE rotation | 4.28 | 86.2% |
I feel confident that students in a remote APPE can design and initiate individualized patient care plans or projects using evidence-based resources | 4.10 | 79.3% |
I received support from School(s) of Pharmacy to help manage my remote APPE rotation(s) | 3.86 | 68.9% |
I had access to the necessary technology platforms and reliable internet to deliver an effective remote APPE rotation | 4.28 | 86.2% |
I felt comfortable with the technology available to deliver an effective remote APPE rotation | 4.28 | 86.2% |
I plan to continue utilizing some remote teaching innovations in the future post COVID-19 | 4.14 | 86.2% |
Preceptor: Additional comments not addressed in the survey |
---|
“Remote interactions for case and topic presentations were conducted with interns at other sites” |
“I appreciate all the resources and help from the Regional Coordinator to try and make the rotations work well and have proper content.” |
“I just feel like the in-person connection was lost during those times but learning and work continued.” |
“Remote rotations are extremely difficult for students in the critical care/internal medicine rotations especially if they have no hospital experience.” |
“I run to codes and traumas, and they are not able to experience what they would be able to experience if they were on campus. I strongly do not recommend this rotation remotely.” |
“While it served the purpose during quarantine, having the right student is key to virtual learning.” |
“Public speaking skills cannot fully be practiced remotely. Body language, preparation, and overcoming nervousness is not the same level when one can read off a document at home vs speaking in front of a large live audience.” |
“Some of the research for med system issues is best done in person. It was fine to work around this for COVID, but ideally the learning experience is best at least partially or fully on-site.” |
“This elective industry rotation was completely project-based. I am now fully remote and plan to continue my APPE rotations as fully/partially remote moving forward. |
Student: What gaps remained in the remote rotation experiences? |
“Interdisciplinary care, direct patient care” |
“It is difficult to build connections with preceptors in a virtual setting and can be difficult to keep the audience’s attention during presentation” |
“Missing out on some of the inpatient experiences in the main pharmacy to see how it operated. Another would be missing rounds due to being remote” |
“Unable to conduct comprehensive care and to do hands on activities that in-clinic appointments provided” |
“The dynamic was very different. It (critical care rotation) started online, then became onsite. There were more opportunities to learn on site when things came up. I was able to observe a code blue.” |
“Access to the EHR, ability to make in-person connection” |
“It would have been nice to see my preceptors in person, but this rotation was a good rotation to do virtually” |
“Much rather do remote even on other rotations. It would make me feel a lot safer, and that would make me learn better as well. Honestly there’s not much difference on site vs virtual” |
“The biggest gap comes with not having remote access and also keeping up with the work and deadlines simply because it’s so comfortable at home” |
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Share and Cite
Kang-Birken, S.L.; Law, E.J.; Moon, Y.S.K.; Lee, A.J.; Haydon, A.L.; Shek, A. Assessing Preceptor and Student Perceptions of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pharmacy 2022, 10, 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10050103
Kang-Birken SL, Law EJ, Moon YSK, Lee AJ, Haydon AL, Shek A. Assessing Preceptor and Student Perceptions of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pharmacy. 2022; 10(5):103. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10050103
Chicago/Turabian StyleKang-Birken, S. Lena, Elaine J. Law, Yong S. K. Moon, Audrey J. Lee, Andrew L. Haydon, and Allen Shek. 2022. "Assessing Preceptor and Student Perceptions of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic" Pharmacy 10, no. 5: 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10050103
APA StyleKang-Birken, S. L., Law, E. J., Moon, Y. S. K., Lee, A. J., Haydon, A. L., & Shek, A. (2022). Assessing Preceptor and Student Perceptions of Remote Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Pharmacy, 10(5), 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy10050103