Quantity and type of patient encounters during required Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences [abstract] Abstract uri icon
Overview
abstract
  • Objectives: To quantify and describe patient encounters experienced during required Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). Method: During 12-week acute care/institutional (AC/INST) APPEs and 15-week combined community pharmacy and ambulatory care (CPAC) APPEs, fourth-year students completed estimated weekly (AC/INST) or daily, per encounter (CPAC) patient tracking surveys. Students documented the number of patient encounters, type of care provided, primary and secondary diagnoses, and special dosing considerations (e.g. kidney dysfunction, pregnancy). The data are compiled into individual reports provided to students and overall tracking reports each semester. Results: During AC/INST APPEs, 98 students self-reported 28,883 patient encounters (mean 24 encounters/student/week) and 27.8% of patients (mean 6.8 encounters/student/week) received care in an intensive care unit setting. The primary type of care provided was transitions of care (31%). Most common primary diagnoses reported during AC/INST APPEs were infectious diseases, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. During CPAC APPEs, 117 students documented 6,955 encounters (mean 4 encounters/ student/week), with 76.8% as new/initial encounters (mean 3 encounters/student/week). The primary type of care provided was patient education/counseling (41.9%). Most common primary diagnoses reported
    during CPAC were diabetes, infectious diseases, and hypertension. Implications: Tracking patient encounters can be used institutionally to ensure consistency and quality of students’ experiences, identify opportunities for site and preceptor development, and provide insight to didactic instructors regarding experiences downstream in the curriculum. Students may use the individual reports to track personal learning and progress, as one measure of readiness for patient care.

  • publication date
  • 2017
  • Research
    keywords
  • Counseling
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Drugs and Drug Therapy
  • Education, Medical
  • Health Education
  • Pharmacists
  • Additional Document Info
    volume
  • 81
  • issue
  • 5