title: A virtual patient software program to improve pharmacy student learning in a comprehensive disease management course.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To implement and assess the impact of a virtual patient pilot program on pharmacy students' clinical competence skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacy students completed interactive software-based patient case scenarios embedded with drug-therapy problems as part of a course requirement at the end of their third year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessments included drug-therapy problem competency achievement, performance on a pretest and posttest, and pilot evaluation survey instrument. Significant improvements in students' posttest scores demonstrated advancement of clinical skills involving drug-therapy problem solving. Students agreed that completing the pilot program improved their chronic disease management skills and the program summarized the course series well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using virtual patient technology allowed for assessment of student competencies and improved learning outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Douglass
authors.forename: Jillian P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Skirvin
authors.forename: Margarita V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: DiVall
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D019468:Disease Management; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D012984:Software; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
keywords: clinical skills; learning outcomes; simulation; virtual patient