INT2 – Moving forward with digital clinical education – when ward-based training is not an option

Link to EAHP Statements

• Section 6 – Education and Research: Statement Statements – 6.1, 6.2, 6.3

Abstract

During the recent pandemic, universities across the world have had to change their education methods, from campus based face-to-face teaching to largely digital sessions. Schools of pharmacy providing pre- and post-graduate courses in clinical pharmacy experienced an acute need for improved digital technology to allow for remote experiential education, when classroom teaching and ward-based training were not possible. When the situation got back to near pre-Covid-19 conditions, some courses or course-modules remained in a digital form, mainly for practical reasons. It is, for example, possible to take post-graduate diplomas in advanced clinical pharmacy practice, completely as distance learning. But how do you effectively teach the “soft” skills needed for successful clinical practice – such as communication, teamwork, argumentation, patient interviewing etcetera – remotely?

This session will present a variety of active and engaging teaching methods and examples that can be used remotely and adapted to the teaching needs of different curricula. The session will help participants build a toolbox for a variety of situations and virtual platforms. The presenters will share ways in which they have been able to make experiences come alive for students across the distance, using technology to allow for remote experiential education and innovative means, and that can be replicated in other settings. The use of simulation tools and rotation design will be discussed.

Learning objectives 

After the session, the participant should be able to: 

• List key pros and cons of remote/digital education in clinical pharmacy
• Describe a variety of virtual teaching methods
• Plan and setup an active and engaging remote clinical pharmacy teaching session

Educational need addressed 

Traditional lectures and written material are not sufficient when teaching clinical skills; it requires some interaction and “learning by doing”. When face-to-face teaching is not possible, different digital solutions are available. Persons training clinical pharmacists and students, in academia or in a healthcare setting, need to be able to use these digital options in an interactive, efficient way.

Keywords

Digital clinical teaching, remote education techniques, simulation tools, toolbox, voice/video telehealth platforms