Impact of high-stakes exams, incentives, and preparation on student performance: Insights from the pharmacy curriculum outcomes assessment.

INTRODUCTION: Efforts to ensure success of pharmacy students in passing pharmacy standardized exams require substantial investments. Engaging students effectively can be a challenge when there are no consequences for non-participation or poor performance. This study examined how engagement reinforcement, including high-stake exam requirements, instructional strategies, and incentives, impacted student performance on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). METHODS: PCOA scores, milestone exams, grade point averages (GPAs), and PCOA preparedness assessments for cohorts (Co) that received high-stakes exams, incentives, and preparation (Co2019, Co2020, and Co2021) was compared with those that did not receive these interventions (Co2017 and Co2018). Students' perceptions regarding reinforcement, incentive, and preparedness were evaluated using an anonymous survey. RESULTS: Analyzing data from 545 students over five years, mandated PCOA preparedness, high-stakes PCOA requirements, and incentives for Co2019, Co2020, and Co2021 improved scores by 11% to 18% compared to Co2017 and Co2018. This corresponded to a rise in performance from the 12th to 27th percentile for Co2017 and Co2018 to the 39th to 49th percentile for Co2019, Co2020, and Co2021. In these later cohorts, PCOA scores consistently correlated with the school's milestone exams and students' cumulative GPAs (correlation coefficients 0.47-0.70, P < .001), while no such correlation was observed in Co2017 and Co2018. Faculty-led PCOA preparation yielded better results (48.2% in Co2020, 45.8% in Co2021) than self-learning (42% in Co2019). Students using faculty-prepared assessments reported increased confidence in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of high-stakes requirements, incentives, and thorough preparation in improving PCOA results.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa community acquired pneumonia: Prevalence and locally derived risk factors in a single hospital system.

Objectives: Current American Thoracic Society/Infectious Disease Society of America (ATS/IDSA) community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) guidelines expand the CAP definition to include infections occurring in patients with recent health care exposure. The guidelines now recommend that hospital systems determine their own local prevalence and predictors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among patients satisfying this new broader CAP definition. We sought to carry out these recommendations in our system, focusing on the emergency department, where CAP diagnosis and initial empiric antibiotic selection usually ooccur. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted with CAP through any of 3 EDs in our hospital system in Northern California between November 2019 and October 2021. Inclusion criteria included an ED admission diagnosis of pneumonia or sepsis, fever or hypothermia, leukocytosis or leukopenia, and consistent chest imaging result. SARS-CoV-2-positive cases were excluded. We abstracted variables historically associated with P. aeruginosa and MRSA. Outcome measures were prevalence of P. aeruginosa and MRSA in the overall clinically defined cohort and among microbiologically confirmed cases and predictors of P. aeruginosa or MRSA isolation, as determined by univariate logistic regression, bootstrapped least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and random forest analyses. Additionally, we describe the iterative process used and challenges encountered in carrying out the new ATS/IDSA guideline recommendations. Results: There were 1133 unique patients who satisfied our definition of clinically defined CAP, of whom 109 (9.6%) had a bacterial pathogen isolated. There were 24 P. aeruginosa isolates and 11 MRSA isolates in 33 patients. Thus, the prevalence P. aeruginosa and MRSA was 2.9% in the overall CAP cohort, but 30.3% in the microbiologically confirmed cohort. The most important predictors of either P. aeruginosa or MRSA isolation were tracheostomy (odds ratio [OR] 22.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.39-46.96) and gastrostomy tube (OR 14.7; 95% CI 7.14-30.26). Challenges included determining the suspected infection type in patients admitted simply for "sepsis"; interpreting dictated radiology reports; determining functional status, presence of indwelling lines and tubes, and long-term care facility residence from the electronic health record; and correctly attributing culture results to pneumonia. Conclusion: Prevalence of MRSA and P. aeruginosa was low among patients admitted in our medical system with CAP - now broadly defined - but high among those with a microbiologically confirmed bacterial etiology. Our locally derived predictors of MRSA and P. aeruginosa can be used to aid our emergency physicians in empiric antibiotic selection for CAP. Findings from this project might inform efforts at other institutions.

Impact of a Prepharmacy Program on Students' Self-Awareness of Pharmacist Professional Identity: Comparison between Virtual and In-Person Settings.

Ensuring an adequate preparation for undergraduate students transitioning to pharmacy school is challenging. A significant barrier is changing from a subordinate to a critical thinking mindset while self-identifying as a professional. Here, we aimed to (1) determine whether our prepharmacy program called "Professional Identity and Me" (PRIME) could enhance learners' self-awareness of their professional identity and (2) compare the effectiveness of the in-person and online versions of PRIME. PRIME introduced prepharmacy students to aspects of pharmacists' professional identity including community, hospital, and interprofessional work, as well as mental health, wellness, and time and stress management skills, Top-200 drugs, prerequisite foundational sciences, and calculations. Concepts of professionalism, graduate writing, and ownership were also presented. Bridging exercises were introduced to exemplify application. We used a mixed-methods approach to assess the outcomes. The average performance in knowledge-based assessments increased before and after the PRIME program from 53.8 to 74.6% and from 47.7 to 75.9%, while the difference in the test scores was statistically significant, with a 21% increase (p < 0.001, 95% CI 15−26%) and a 28% improvement (p < 0.001, 95% CI 23−34%) for face-to-face versus virtual PRIME. The results of a student perception survey revealed PRIME was equally effective as a virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting transferability to other pharmacy programs.

Effectiveness of an Advanced Naloxone Training, Simulation, and Assessment of Second-Year Pharmacy Students.

Background: Opioid overdoses continue to be one of the most urgent public health priorities. In 2020, reported overdose deaths in the United States reached a high of over 93,000 cases. As the COVID-19 pandemic and opioid crisis continues to be addressed, life-saving agents must be more widely accessible to those with a high overdose risk. An essential step to increasing access is to train student pharmacists to dispense naloxone. Once licensed, the number of personnel authorized to dispense naloxone can increase. Objectives: To design a training program to educate second-year pharmacy (P2) students on furnishing naloxone under a state protocol. Methods: A multi-phased curriculum-based naloxone training program was delivered to P2 students and included lecture-based education, team-based learning (TBL) applications, case-based scenarios, and summative assessments to improve student knowledge and confidence in furnishing naloxone. Students were surveyed on their knowledge and confidence with naloxone prior to training, after the in-class training and TBL applications and after three assessments. Assessments included simulated patient counseling, case-based scenarios, and proper dispensing of naloxone in a community pharmacy simulation lab. Results: A total of 185 student pharmacists completed the naloxone training program and 68 completed all three surveys. Average scores for naloxone assessments were 83% for the APPS lab patient case, 90.5% for the prescription label typed for the naloxone product, and 88.5% for patient counseling. Statistically significant increases in knowledge-based quiz-like scores (42.1% after training vs. 7.2% after assessment) and in the proportion of students affirmatively answering survey questions after training and assessment was observed. Conclusion: Multi-phase curriculum-based naloxone training program improved pharmacy student knowledge and confidence in furnishing naloxone under a state BOP protocol.

A multicenter study of gender bias in student evaluations of teaching in pharmacy programs.

INTRODUCTION: Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used to assess effectiveness of teaching. Studies conducted to assess the presence of gender bias in SET have produced mixed results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence and degree of gender bias in SET of didactic courses in United States pharmacy programs. METHODS: A three-year, retrospective, multi-institutional analysis of anonymous SET data were analyzed from required didactic courses. Analysis included gender, SET questions, mean scale score, and number of students responding to each question. A hierarchical linear model was used to compare the gender difference with the normalized SET scores as the outcome. RESULTS: A total of 2114 SET scores were included from seven pharmacy schools across eight campuses. Analysis of the results revealed that the combined data were skewed secondary to one institution whose results fell significantly outside the mean. When this school was excluded, the difference between SET scores did not differ by gender, b = 0.021, t(1,702) = 0.69, P = .49, with similar SET scores for female faculty (mean = 4.41, SD = 0.35, range = 2.54-5) and male faculty (mean = 4.44, SD = 0.32, range = 2.67-5). CONCLUSIONS: After secondary analysis, the aggregated data showed no significant difference between ratings of male and female instructors. However, there were differences within individual programs. This illustrates the importance of applying assessment principles to SET to determine the presence of bias so that continuous quality improvement strategies may be applied.

Clinical Characteristics, Outcomes and Prognostic Factors for Critical Illness in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: A good understanding of the possible risk factors for coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) severity could help clinicians in identifying patients who need prioritized treatment to prevent disease progression and adverse outcome. In the present study, we aimed to correlate clinical and laboratory characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to disease outcome in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The present study included 199 COVID-19 patients admitted to King Fahd Specialist Hospital, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, from April to December 2020. Patients were followed-up until discharge either for recovery or death. Demographic data, clinical data and laboratory results were retrieved from electronic patient records. Results: Critical COVID-19 cases showed higher mean of age and higher prevalence of co-morbid conditions. Fifty-five patients died during the observation period. Risk factors for in hospital death for COVID 19 patients were leukocytosis (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.008-3.548, p = 0.081), lymphocytopenia (OR 2.152, 95% CI 1.079-4.295, p = 0.020), neutrophilia (OR 1.839, 95% CI 0.951-3.55, p = 0.047), thrombocytopenia (OR 2.152, 95% CI 0.852-5.430, p = 0.085), liver injury (OR 2.689, 95% CI 1.373-4.944, p = 0.003), acute kidney injury (OR 1.248, 95% CI 0.631-2.467 p = 0.319), pancreatic injury (OR 1.973, 95% CI 0.939-4.144, p = 0.056) and high D dimer (OR 2.635, 95% CI 0.747-9.287, p = 0.091). Conclusion: Clinical and laboratory data of COVID-19 patients may help understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and subsequently improve of the outcome of patients by determination of the associated risk factors and recognition of high risk group who are more liable for complications and in hospital death. The present study put an eye on some parameters (laboratory and clinical) that should be alarming signs that the patient is at high risk bad prognosis.

Use of End-of-Class Quizzes to Promote Pharmacy Student Self-Reflection, Motivate Students to Improve Study Habits, and to Improve Performance on Summative Examinations.

Underperforming students are often unaware of deficiencies requiring improvement until after poor performance on summative exams. The goal of the current study was to determine whether inclusion of individual end-of-class formative quizzes, which comprise of higher level Bloom's questions, could encourage students to reflect on and address deficiencies and improve academic performance. Ninety-seven out of 123 first-year pharmacy students (79%) enrolled in a Biochemistry and Cell & Molecular Biology course participated in a single-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover study. Paired t-test analyses demonstrated that that implementation of individual end-of-class formative quizzes resulted in significantly higher summative exam scores for below average students (p = 0.029). Notably, inclusion of quizzes significantly improved performance on higher Bloom's questions for these students (p = 0.006). Analysis of surveys completed by students prior to summative exam indicate that the formative end-of-class quizzes helped students identify deficiencies (89%) and making them feel compelled to study more (83%) and attend review sessions (61%). Many students indicated that quizzes increased stress levels (45%). Our collective data indicate that quizzes can improve summative exam performance for below average first year pharmacy students, and improve self-reflection and student motivation to study. However, the impact on student stress levels should be considered.

Impact of Completion of a Pre-Pharmacy Biochemistry Course and Competency Levels in Pre-Pharmacy Courses on Pharmacy Student Performance.

Poor performance in foundational science courses, which are usually taken during the first or second year of pharmacy school, can have several negative consequences including increases in student drop-out rates and increases in the number of dismissals and remediating students. The primary goal of the current study was to determine whether completion of a pre-pharmacy biochemistry course and/or performance on a biochemistry competency test (administered at the beginning of the pharmacy program) are associated with pharmacy student performance in foundational science courses and overall academic performance. A secondary goal was to determine whether performance in pre-pharmacy courses and/or student demographics are associated with pharmacy student performance. Prospective univariate analyses (n = 75) determined that completion of a pre-pharmacy biochemistry course is not associated with pharmacy student performance. However, performance on a biochemistry competency test was associated with performance in Biochemistry and Cell&Molecular Biology (p = 0.002). Furthermore, post-hoc analyses determined that pre-pharmacy cumulative chemistry GPA correlates with performance in both the Biochemistry and Cell&Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry foundational science courses (p = 0.002 and p = 0.04, respectively) and can predict first year GPA (p = 0.002). The combined data indicate that further assessment of the impact of pre-pharmacy competency in biochemistry and chemistry on pharmacy student success is warranted.

Evaluation of Long-Term Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Practices with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in a National Cohort of Veterans.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate nationwide chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment practices over an extended period and across multiple lines of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy with imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. DATA SOURCE: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) national database. PATIENTS: A total of 2873 VHA beneficiaries aged 18-89 years who had at least one encounter at any of the ~150 VHA hospitals and 800 VHA clinics, had a diagnosis code for CML, and filled at least one prescription for imatinib, nilotinib, or dasatinib between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2010. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: The VHA database was used for the time period of October 1, 2000, to September 30, 2012, allowing for a 1-year observation period to identify CML treatments prior to study enrollment and a minimum of a 2-year follow-up period to assess study end points. Primary study end points included change in TKI treatment, gaps in TKI treatment, TKI treatment persistence, and patient survival. Persistence for each distinct line of treatment was defined as the time of continuous therapy, quantified by the number of days covered by the drug from treatment initiation until a 60-day gap in treatment was identified or a switch in treatment occurred. A Kaplan-Meier model was used to evaluate persistence and survival. Of the 2873 patients receiving first-line TKI treatment, 586 (20.4%) switched to a different TKI, constituting second-line treatment. Overall, 245 patients (8.5%) were switched again to third-line treatment. Only 4.4% of patients receiving first-line treatment experienced a gap in therapy of 60 or more days. First-line treatment persistence rates were 75%, 65%, and 55% for the first, second, and third years of treatment, respectively. Five-year survival with first-line treatment was 62%. CONCLUSION: In this national cohort of VHA patients, 1-year persistence of first-line TKI treatment was similar to that in prior studies. Five-year survival was comparable with that in other observational studies but was lower than that in prospective clinical trials. Persistence rates declined after the introduction of the new TKIs.

Impact of cancer supportive care pathways compliance on emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of compliance to cancer supportive care pathways on emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations as a result of neutropenia, anemia, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). METHODS: CareFirst claims database was used to evaluate data spanning 2 years of the clinical pathways program. Frequency of ED visits/hospitalizations for neutropenia, anemia, and CINV were compared between compliant and noncompliant pathway utilization of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs), erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), and antiemetics, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to control for drug expenditures and cancer types. RESULTS: A total of 4,144 lines of therapy were received by 3,191 patients from 46 practices across three states. Overall, there were 472 ED visits/hospitalizations for neutropenia, 34 visits for anemia, and 799 visits for CINV. G-CSF pathway-compliant treatment was associated with a significant reduction in neutropenia ED visits/hospitalizations compared with noncompliant treatment (odds ratio [OR] = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.45; P < .001). Adjusting for cancer type and G-CSF drug expenditures, a similar reduction in neutropenia ED visits/hospitalizations was observed (OR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.58; P < .001). Analogous analyses did not demonstrate a significant association between ESA and antiemetic pathway compliance and ED visits/hospitalizations for anemia (P = .069) and CINV (P = .106), respectively. G-CSF therapy pathway compliance was also associated with an average decrease of $1,085 in ED visit/hospitalization costs per line of therapy (P < .001). CONCLUSION: G-CSF pathway compliance was associated with a significant decrease in the rate of neutropenia ED visits/hospitalizations and resulting costs.

Documenting the benefits and cost savings of a large multistate cancer pathway program from a payer's perspective.

PURPOSE: Clinical pathways are viewed as valuable practice tools leading to presumed cost savings. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield partnering with P4 Pathways implemented a multistate oncology clinical pathways program in 2008. This is the first comprehensive evaluation to our knowledge of a pathways program implemented on a broad scale. METHODS: This study used a retrospective single-group, pretest-post-test design. Data representing preclinical pathways (year -1) and 2 years after program initiation (years +1 and +2) were obtained from claims data. Participating sites with ≥one claim for breast, lung, or colorectal cancer treatment from each year were included in the evaluation. Compliance was defined as site attainment of prespecified annual thresholds for the use of chemotherapy and supportive care. Savings were determined by comparing per-patient changes in drug and hospital costs through year +2 with the projected annual expenditure increases of 12% and 7%, respectively. RESULTS: Forty-six sites representing 4,713 patients met inclusion criteria. The unadjusted site compliance rate for chemotherapy was 83% and 54% for years +1 and +2, respectively; supportive care site compliance was 74% for both years. Per-patient drug costs increased from $16,494 in year -1 to $16,906 in year +2 (P=.587), whereas hospitalization costs decreased from $2,502 to $1,064 (P=.004). Compared with projected cost increases, pathways resulted in $10.3 million in savings by participant sites ($7.0 million from drugs and $3.3 million from hospitalizations) or $30.9 million when extrapolated to the entire health plan. CONCLUSION: Broadly implemented clinical pathways can achieve reasonable physician compliance, resulting in substantial cost savings.