Development of a pharmacy capstone course from focus groups to advanced patient care.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development of a capstone course using qualitative results of focus groups and to determine the impact of the course using a pre- and postcourse surveys.


METHODS
A course titled Advanced Patient Care was developed using themes emerged from 3 stakeholder focus groups and implemented with case-based sessions, interactive exercises, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Pre- and postcourse surveys were conducted to assess the students' confidence and knowledge in managing 8 commonly-encountered conditions.


RESULTS
During the 2-year course implementation, a total of 169 students participated in the pre- and postcourse surveys (87.6% response rate). The mean total confidence score increased significantly from 54.3 (±9.2) to 69.0 (±8.6, p < 0.001), and the total mean knowledge score increased significantly from 6.3 to 6.9 (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The capstone course, fueled by focus group findings and implemented using interactive sessions and simulations, positively impacted students' confidence and knowledge for clinical practice experiences and professional practice.
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Jeannie Kim
JK
Lee
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Janet H
JH
Cooley
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Natalee E
NE
Tanner
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Courtney N
CN
Hanauer
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Danielle M
DM
Schiefer
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.
Richard N
RN
Herrier
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003479:Curriculum / Q000639:trends*; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D010604:Pharmacy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D055815:Young Adult
Capstone course; focus group; pharmacy curriculum; pharmacy student; survey