Kimberly S Plake1. 1. School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Purdue University, USA. kplake@purdue.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of a book club experience on pharmacy students' learning about chronic illness. DESIGN: Students read autobiographies/biographies regarding the patient experience of chronic illness. Similar to a traditional book club, small group discussions were held based on questions submitted by students. Other activities included written reflections, a final paper, and an oral presentation. ASSESSMENT: A retrospective pretest and posttest were administered at the end of the course. Students indicated improvement in the key aspects of the course with significant differences (p < 0.01) between retrospective pretest and posttest scores for all course objectives assessed. Students also indicated that the course contributed to their development as pharmacists, motivated them to learn about new topics, and helped them reconsider their attitudes. CONCLUSION: A book club elective course was successful in helping students understand the patient experience.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of a book club experience on pharmacy students' learning about chronic illness. DESIGN: Students read autobiographies/biographies regarding the patient experience of chronic illness. Similar to a traditional book club, small group discussions were held based on questions submitted by students. Other activities included written reflections, a final paper, and an oral presentation. ASSESSMENT: A retrospective pretest and posttest were administered at the end of the course. Students indicated improvement in the key aspects of the course with significant differences (p < 0.01) between retrospective pretest and posttest scores for all course objectives assessed. Students also indicated that the course contributed to their development as pharmacists, motivated them to learn about new topics, and helped them reconsider their attitudes. CONCLUSION: A book club elective course was successful in helping students understand the patient experience.
Entities:
Keywords:
autobiographies; chronic illness; compassion; elective course; empathy; patient care; small group discussion
Authors: Mary E Kiersma; Patricia L Darbishire; Kimberly S Plake; Christopher Oswald; Brenda M Walters Journal: Am J Pharm Educ Date: 2009-10-01 Impact factor: 2.047