Digital literacy education for UK undergraduate pharmacy students: a mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVES: Digital literacy is increasingly crucial in pharmacy practice, and relevant education and training are required to prepare the future workforce. This study aims to explore the current and planned inclusion of digital literacy education in the undergraduate curricula of UK pharmacy schools. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was conducted with two phases. The first involved a content analysis of published curricula from all 30 UK pharmacy schools. The second phase included a survey based on the Health Education England Digital Capabilities Framework, distributed to academic staff across all pharmacy schools. KEY FINDINGS: Data from 14 pharmacy schools' curricula were included in the analysis, with 10 reporting digital literacy education. Key themes identified from the analysed documents included understanding of health informatics, applied informatics, information technology skills, and the emerging digital health technology. Nineteen respondents from 16 schools participated in the survey; digital literacy inclusion was reported by 18 participants. There was variable alignment of digital literacy competencies with the Health Education England framework. Digital literacy was mainly integrated into existing teaching sessions, predominantly through self-learning (n = 12). Electronic Health Records and remote counselling were the main focus areas within the curricula. Challenges in implementing digital literacy include a lack of expertise (n = 13), and time constraints (n = 10). CONCLUSIONS: The trend towards embedding digital literacy in UK pharmacy curricula is clear, but disparities suggest the need for a more unified strategy. Recommendations include establishing a specific digital literacy framework aligned with professional needs, improving accessibility and transparency in curricula documents, and investing in faculty development.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of medical university students towards vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a serious health problem that is associated with many health consequences. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, regarding vitamin D deficiency. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted among students of Unaizah Colleges of Pharmacy (UCP) and Medicine (UCM) at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia, over a period of 3 months. A well-structured self-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection. Statistical analysis was applied by using SPSS version 22. A 0/1 scoring process was employed to assess the KAP of the participants. The midpoint is considered the cutoff point. Results: A total of 337 complete responses were received. The majority of participants (62.3%) were female. 291 (86.3%) were considered to have good knowledge, with a mean score of 6.326 out of 9. Moreover, 220 (65.2%) of participants had positive attitudes, with a mean score of 4.077 out of 7. Unfortunately, only 9 (2.6%) participants demonstrated satisfactory practices, with a mean score a 0.911 out of 6. Female participants were significantly better than male participants in terms of knowledge and attitudes, but worse in terms of practices. Sun exposure during safe daytime hours is considered the main cause of vitamin D deficiency. Nearly 60% confirmed that KSA indoor activities and the COVID-19 lockdown might maximise vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion: The study reveals a gap in vitamin D knowledge among participants influenced by gender and study year. It suggests educational initiatives for male students to enhance their knowledge regarding vitamin D, while female students are encouraged to prioritise safe sun exposure, minimising the use of umbrellas and sunscreen. It also highlights the role of educational institutions as reliable sources of information and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants' attitudes and practices towards vitamin D.

Digital literacy in undergraduate pharmacy education: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: Conduct a scoping review to identify the approaches used to integrate digital literacy into undergraduate pharmacy programs across different countries, focusing on methods for education, training, and assessment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, we searched 5 electronic databases in June 2022: MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL. Three independent reviewers screened all articles; data extraction was conducted by 2 reviewers. Any discrepancies were arbitrated by 2 additional reviewers. RESULTS: Out of 624 articles, 57 were included in this review. Educational and training approaches for digital literacy in undergraduate pharmacy programs encompassed a theoretical understanding of health informatics, familiarization with diverse digital technologies, and applied informatics in 2 domains: patient-centric care through digital technologies, and the utilization of digital technologies in interprofessional collaboration. Blended pedagogical strategies were commonly employed. Assessment approaches included patient plan development requiring digital information retrieval, critical appraisal of digital tools, live evaluations of telehealth skills, and quizzes and exams on health informatics concepts. External engagement with system developers, suppliers, and other institutes supported successful digital literacy education. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This scoping review identifies various learning objectives, teaching, and assessment strategies to incorporate digital literacy in undergraduate pharmacy curricula. Recommendations include acknowledging the evolving digital health landscape, ensuring constructive alignment between learning objectives, teaching approach and assessments, co-development of digital literacy courses with stakeholders, and using standardized guidelines for reporting educational interventions. This study provides practical suggestions for enhancing digital literacy education in undergraduate pharmacy programs.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding dietary supplements in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed at determining the characteristics and lifestyle choices of dietary supplement users and to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice related to dietary supplements in the health sciences students versus other individuals in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional, online questionnaire-based study was conducted on 351 participants (138 were health sciences students and 203 were not). The results were documented and analyzed using SPSS- version 22. RESULTS: More than half of the participants consumed dietary supplements, 53.6% of the health sciences students versus 56.3% of the other individuals. Multivitamins were the most commonly used supplement in all participants (49%). Both groups believed that people might need dietary supplements more during specific times as pregnancy or recovery from diseases, with higher percentage in health sciences students than other people (43% versus 38%). Most of the students were somewhat aware about the facts concerning dietary supplements compared to others. Significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was found concerning opinion and beliefs related to dietary supplements between the two groups. However, the health sciences students were not highly knowledgeable about the facts regarding supplements. CONCLUSION: The users of dietary supplements tend to incorporate these products into their lifestyles as part of a broader focus on healthy living. Many of health sciences students do not have accurate information about dietary supplements. It is important to strengthen the health science curriculum concerning this topic, with the aim of producing better-informed future professionals.