The Brief Attitudes Survey for Interprofessional Collaborative Learning: The Design, Reliability, and Validation of a New Instrument.

This paper describes the development and validation of a new questionnaire designed to measure and investigate attitudes towards interprofessional education (IPE) among health professions students. After a thorough literature review and survey of prior instruments, we created an instrument built around a single construct domain: attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative learning. Through a rigorous design methodology rooted in behavior change theory and an iterative question development process, we launched the 11-item "Brief Attitudes Survey for Interprofessional Collaborative Learning" (BASIC-L). Implemented as part of a "toolbox" for assessing the progress of learners in IPE, the questionnaire was then administered to a large cohort of medical and nursing students. Its reliability, validity, and fit with our one-domain model were evaluated via thorough psychometric analysis, including computation of reliability coefficients and a Rasch analysis. These analyses indicate strong reliability, validity, and fit of the questions with our one-domain model. The analyses also included assessment for any sources of measurement error, which were not significant. The BASIC-L appears to be a useful, valid, and reliable instrument for the assessment of attitudes toward interprofessional collaborative learning among students in the health professions, especially as part of a larger multidimensional assessment process.

A pharmacy student's role as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate medicinal chemistry course - Implementation, evaluation, and unexpected opportunities for educational outreach.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe 1) a pharmacy student's teaching assistant (TA) role in an undergraduate medicinal chemistry course, 2) an active learning module co-developed by the TA and instructor, and 3) the unexpected opportunities for pharmacy educational outreach that resulted from this collaboration. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Medicinal Chemistry (CHM3413) is an undergraduate course offered each fall at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA). As a TA for CHM3413, a pharmacy student from the Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) at PBA co-developed and implemented an active learning module emphasizing foundational medicinal chemistry concepts as they pertain to performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Surveys assessed undergraduate students' perceived knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts, PEDs, and TA involvement. FINDINGS: Students' (total n = 60, three fall semesters) perceived confidence in knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts and PEDs increased significantly (p < 0.001) after the TA's module. Nearly 93% of students acknowledged this was their first interaction with a TA at PBA, ~ 82% "agreed/strongly agreed" that the TA provided effective instruction, and ~ 62% "agreed/strongly agreed" that TA availability raised overall confidence in CHM3413. Unexpected "side-effects" of this collaboration included opportunities for the TA and instructor to discuss health risks associated with PED usage with student-athletes and coaches at PBA. DISCUSSION: This collaboration developed the pharmacy student's teaching skills and reinforced knowledge of foundational pharmaceutical science concepts for both the TA and undergraduate students. Unexpected "side-effects" that resulted from this collaboration included opportunities for the TA and instructor to discuss health risks associated with PED usage with student-athletes in PBA's athletic department. SUMMARY: Educational/interprofessional outreach opportunities resulted from a pharmacy student TA's involvement in an undergraduate medicinal chemistry course. An advanced pharmacy practice experience elective in sports pharmacy (based on Ambrose's model) begins Fall 2017.

Effectiveness of Various Methods of Teaching Proper Inhaler Technique.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of 4 different instructional interventions in training proper inhaler technique. DESIGN: Randomized, noncrossover trial. SETTING: Health fair and indigent clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Inhaler-naive adult volunteers who spoke and read English. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were assigned to complete the following: (1) read a metered dose inhaler (MDI) package insert pamphlet, (2) watch a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) video demonstrating MDI technique, (3) watch a YouTube video demonstrating MDI technique, or (4) receive direct instruction of MDI technique from a pharmacist. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Inhaler use competency (completion of all 7 prespecified critical steps). RESULTS: Of the 72 subjects, 21 (29.2%) demonstrated competent inhaler technique. A statistically significant difference between pharmacist direct instruction and the remaining interventions, both combined ( P < .0001) and individually ( P ≤ .03), was evident. No statistically significant difference was detected among the remaining 3 intervention groups. Critical steps most frequently omitted or improperly performed were exhaling before inhalation and holding of breath after inhalation. CONCLUSION: A 2-minute pharmacist counseling session is more effective than other interventions in successfully educating patients on proper inhaler technique. Pharmacists can play a pivotal role in reducing the implications of improper inhaler use.

Planning a pharmacy-led medical mission trip, part 4: an exploratory study of student experiences.

BACKGROUND: At the Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP), pharmacy students routinely participate in domestic and international medical mission trips. Participation can be for academic credit as part of final-year Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) or as required community service hours. These mission experiences could potentially result in both professional and personal transformations for participating students. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate data collected from GSOP pharmacy students regarding their experiences on the medical mission field in 2011 and how that participation has impacted the students professionally and personally. METHODS: GSOP students participating in an international or domestic medical mission trip in the summer of 2011 were asked to voluntarily complete pre- and posttrip surveys. RESULTS: Of the 68 final-year APPE students and student volunteers who participated in a summer 2011 GSOP medical mission trip, 36 (53%) completed pre- and posttrip surveys. The mission trips significantly impacted students' beliefs regarding better preparation to care for the medical needs of patients, identification of others' needs, understanding team dynamics, perceptions about the value of patient care, and comfort level with the provision of medical and pharmaceutical care in a foreign country. However, there were no statistically significant improvements in students' perceptions of their ability to care for the emotional needs of patients, the importance of team unity, and their level of respect for team members; their ability to lead or participate in future trips; and their belief that participating preceptors and faculty serve as effective role models of servant leaders. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings from this exploratory study, participation in a domestic or international medical mission trip as a student volunteer or APPE student appears to have a positive impact on some of the beliefs and perceptions of GSOP students. By continuing to follow these particular students and similar cohorts of students in the future, further insight may be gained regarding the long-term impact of medical mission experiences during pharmacy school training.