Work-Family Conflict and Wellbeing in US Pharmacy Faculty with Children.

OBJECTIVE: Objectives of this study included characterization of the current landscape of work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC), wellbeing, and childcare-related factors in United States (US) pharmacy faculty members with children, as well as relationship determination between faculty characteristics and WFC, FWC, and wellbeing indices. METHODS: A survey was developed and administered to US pharmacy faculty members with children in February 2022. Questions included demographic and childcare-related factors and the validated Netemeyer WFC and FWC scales, and World Health Organization (WHO-5) Wellbeing Index. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and t tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 368 faculty members with children. Respondents were primarily married females who identify as White or European American, with>90% having children less than 18 years of age. Respondents scored an average of 24.1 ± 7.2 points on the WFC scale, 19.5 ± 7.5 points on the FWC scale, and 56.8 ± 17.5 on the WHO-5 Wellbeing Index. Having dependent children resulted in statistically significantly higher WFC and FWC and lower wellbeing scores. Linear regression models for WFC, FWC, and wellbeing explained 20%, 8%, and 9% of the variability in scores, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study identified the presence of WFC, FWC, and decreased wellbeing in pharmacy faculty members with children. Future research is needed to further qualify contributors to the indices and place findings into a larger context.

Faculty Doing More with Less: A Technology Initiative Realized Through a Structured Process.

Introduction: Many barriers exist when implementing new educational technologies. Some institutions without specialty support staff or offices may struggle with the necessary steps. In a climate that increasingly asks faculty to do more with less, empowering faculty-driven processes may prove important. Innovation: When the need for an academic electronic health record (EHR) was identified, a faculty champion followed a structured approach to research available options, garner faculty interest, bring forth a proposal to the administration, implement the academic EHR technology, and perform continuous quality improvement thereby paving the pathway for future faculty-led initiatives. Findings: A single faculty member followed a structured approach that could be carried out by others to bring meaningful academic technology to multiple programs. This process was subsequently successfully used by another faculty member and the technology implemented was well-received by administration, faculty, and students. Conclusion: Despite few resources to support or compel technological adaptation or change, faculty can follow steps to introduce these projects and moreover, spark a cultural shift and momentum to embolden faculty to follow a process to bring forth change or initiatives in the future.

Electronic Health Records in Pharmacy Skills-based Curricula.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are integral to contemporary pharmacy practice. The use of EHRs and associated skill development in curricula across pharmacy education is variable. Skills-based courses in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum are ideal areas to develop these competencies' and integrate EHR use and skills with the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process. Consideration should be given by each school and college of pharmacy for having an EHR curriculum embedded within skills-based courses to prepare students for advanced pharmacy practice experiences as well as professional practice after graduation. A consensus on what skills or competencies should be consistently included in pharmacy curricula should be developed across pharmacy education to increase consistency in the delivery of EHR skills education and assessment. Emphasis on EHR skills and incorporation of them into national pharmacy education standards would help further guide development and assessment, as well as ensure new pharmacists are on the cutting edge of patient care and technology.

Academic electronic health records as a vehicle to augment the assessment of patient care skills in the didactic pharmacy curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: Standards 2016 state students must be "practice-ready" upon graduation and utilizing health information technology is one skill needed to ensure students are practice-ready. Incorporating academic electronic health records (EHRs) into the didactic pharmacy curriculum is one tool for preparing students to be practice-ready, but it is unclear if this technology is used to facilitate assessment of students' patient care skills. METHODS: A 35-question electronic survey was distributed to each school/college of pharmacy (S/COP) with questions focused on general use of EHRs and characterizing EHRs as a tool to assess students' patient care skills in the didactic curriculum. Aggregate, anonymous data was reported and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Fifty-nine survey responses were suitable for inclusion in the analysis (43.8% response rate). Of those, 37 S/COP (62.7%) used an EHR in the didactic curriculum. Frequently performed and assessed EHR functions were collecting information and documentation, and EHRs were most commonly utilized to assess students' abilities to perform the collect (96.9%) and assess (93.8%) steps of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process. EHRs were perceived to be most effective in assessing the following Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education Educational Outcomes: patient-centered care (93.9%), problem solving (83.9%), and learner (80.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing the use of EHRs in S/COP is critical. Determining which outcomes are best suited to be assessed utilizing this technology and the optimal method to do so is an appropriate next step.

Evaluating pharmacy student perceptions and effectiveness of procrastination prevention events.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Procrastination is common among collegiate students and has been associated with negative academic performance. Avoidance of procrastination may improve learning efficiency and outcomes, especially in course-intensive doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs. This study investigated the perceptions of pharmacy students on student-organized procrastination prevention events (PPEs) and determined whether participation in these events affected assessment grades. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Quarterly, voluntary PPEs for professional year one (PY1), professional year 2 (PY2), and professional year three (PY3) PharmD students were hosted by the Rho Chi Society. These events occurred one to two weeks prior to historically challenging assessments. Faculty of related courses were invited to lead review sessions. Rho Chi members designed and delivered interactive learning activities and were available for peer-led group study. Attendance was recorded and anonymous voluntary exit surveys were conducted. Assessment scores on topics of focus were compared between the group that attended the event vs. the group that did not attend. FINDINGS: Based on the 153 pooled anonymous survey results, the majority of participants were < 25 years of age, female, and did not have children. Perception data from the surveys were universally positive. Most assessment score comparisons of PPE attendees vs. non-attendees were not statistically significant. Immunology showed improved scores in event attendees. SUMMARY: Although attending PPEs did not significantly improve assessment scores in most courses, students recognized the benefits of the events. Future research could study the overall impact of these events and best practices for hosting them.

Program evaluation of a pharmacy run resident teaching and learning curriculum.

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The questions evaluated are: To what extent does the program meet the needs and expectations of the participants?; To what extent are the program outcomes being met?; In what ways does the program need to be modified to better meet the expectations and needs of the target audience?; In what ways does the program need to be modified to better fulfill its intended outcomes?; How accepting are the current residency programs of the modifications proposed for the 2018-2019 year? QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODS: The new teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) program coordinator and Assistant Dean conducted a practical participatory evaluation. The plan was: complete initial data collection and review, create a new syllabus, and review new syllabus with all residency program directors. RESULTS OF CQI INQUIRY: All stakeholders felt the program was meeting their needs and expectations and the program was meeting its outcomes. INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION: Problems found included: all assessments for the program outcomes were perception and completion data, no data were collected to show improvement across the participants' time in the program, and residency program directors did not complete an end-of-year survey to determine their perceptions of the program. Based on the results several changes and a new syllabus were done for the program. CONCLUSION: Overall this project answered the five key questions in its objectives. This work provides one example of a quality assurance project that can occur for a TLC program. This process could be adapted for any TLC program.

Predicting NAPLEX scores using student performance in the clinical skills laboratory setting.

INTRODUCTION: Many predictors of success on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) have been studied, but little information is available regarding the effect of assessments in the clinical skills setting on student success. One way to determine if these assessments affect NAPLEX success is to review student performance in clinical skills laboratory courses (termed patient care lab ["PCL"] at our institution), which incorporate such assessments. METHODS: Students (n = 88) enrolled in a four quarter PCL sequence completed several individual assessments (both knowledge and skills-based), including drug information (DI) quizzes/final exams, patient case presentations and associated critical thinking questions, and formal DI responses. Linear regression assessed the relationship between PCL assessments and NAPLEX scores. Statistical tests were performed using IBM SPSS version 22 with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: While drug information responses were not predictive of total NAPLEX scores (p = 0.192), the patient case presentation and associated critical thinking questions predicted 31.1% of variability (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Performance of one cohort of students on certain pharmacy clinical skills lab assessments was predictive of total scores on the NAPLEX. Students who struggle with assessments in the clinical skills lab setting may be targets for early intervention to help improve the likelihood of success. More research is needed to fully elucidate the relationship between assessments in the clinical skills lab setting and NAPLEX performance.

Increasing compliance with national quality measures for stroke through use of a standard order set.

PURPOSE: Results of a study to determine the impact of physician use of a medication order set on compliance with national quality standards for acute stroke treatment are presented. METHODS: The medical records of adult patients treated for ischemic stroke at three certified primary stroke centers within a large healthcare system were retrospectively reviewed to assess compliance with eight mandatory standards of care. Overall adherence to the standards and rates of compliance with individual standards were compared in random samples of patients treated with or without physician use of an order set providing guidance on acute stroke pharmacotherapy and other aspects of stroke management. RESULTS: Treatment records indicated use of the acute stroke order set in 58% of the 120 patient cases reviewed. Individual patients who were treated without physician use of the order set were more than twice as likely as those in the comparator group to receive care that was not in compliance with at least one of the eight mandatory quality standards (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.43-4.05; p < 0.001). Use of the order set was associated with significantly improved adherence to three standards: venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, stroke education, and statin therapy at discharge. CONCLUSION: A retrospective review of the treatment records of patients hospitalized for acute stroke showed that adherence to national guidelines was increased when providers used a standard order set.