Using a Polypharmacy Simulation Exercise to Increase Empathy in Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To assess whether the Jellybean Polypharmacy Simulation Exercise (JPSE) improved empathy in pharmacy students. Methods. The JPSE was given to all third-professional year pharmacy students in a required Special Populations course with pre-and post-scores on the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (KCES) assessed, and open-ended questions on lessons learned from the exercise. Results. Pharmacy students showed a statistically significant increase in KCES scores after completing the JPSE. Open-ended question responses reflected personal growth and appreciation for patients managing difficult medication regimens. Conclusion. This polypharmacy simulation showed the ability to increase empathy in pharmacy students, as well as mimic a realistic experience in managing a multi-drug, multi-dose medication regimen.Keywords: polypharmacy, simulation, empathy INTRODUCTIONThe ability to empathize is an essential element of the health care provider-patient relationship, yet is difficult to assess formally. [1][2][3] Empathy is a core element of improving patient outcomes and has been shown to decrease the potential for litigation in the medical literature. [4][5][6][7][8] Empathy is enhanced through experiences in which an individual has the opportunity to view a situation from the perspective of another. The demographics of the pharmacy student body evaluated was different in average age and in overall health status as compared to those of the patient population represented by this exercise. It is this difference in life experience that offers an opportunity for a simulated activity to have value for inculcating empathy. With the aging of America, and the dependence of our nation's seniors on complex medication regimens for the care of chronic conditions, it is imperative for health professionals not only to understand what polypharmacy is, but how it feels. 9Given the potential impact of age and health discordance between the pharmacy learner and patient, the use of a simulated polypharmacy exercise could be an important tool for increasing the learner's empathy for those managing complex medication regimens. The Jellybean Polypharmacy Simulation Exercise (JPSE) was developed as a way to inculcate empathy for those managing multi-drug, multi-dose regimens on a daily basis. The JPSE is an eight-"prescription" regimen students manage for 7 consecutive days. This regimen includes varied dosing schedules, a drug-drug interaction that needs to be mitigated by a 2-hour separation, and meal-time dosing considerations.While multi-drug simulation exercises are not new to pharmacy education, research has focused on the ability of students to adhere to a complex regimen.10-13 Researchers have also attempted to assess the impact of interventions on empathy within simulation education; however, there is no research to date on the impact of a polypharmacy simulation on empathy using a validated empathy scale.14 The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the JPSE to inculcate student METHODSAll third-year pharmacy...

The Impact of Two Longitudinal Professionalism Courses on Student Pharmacists’ Empathy

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“…For this reason, it is imperative that the pharmacist–patient relationship be enhanced to provide safe and high quality care. In light of this finding, several authors have developed educational exercises that aim to improve empathy levels among pharmacy students ( 13 , 14 ).…”

A Music Assignment to Develop Pharmacy Students’ Empathy Toward People with Opioid Use Disorder

“…This could be because of the resources and time needed to develop student ability in this area, as demonstrated in numerous studies. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] This is contrary to data demonstrating that the physicians' affect can impact levels of patient satisfaction and treatment adherence, [12][13][14][15][16] which likely correlates to the profession of pharmacy in a similar manner. One aspect of affect includes the concept of empathy, which is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; and the capacity for this."…”

“…Another method could be through the development of empathy for those affected with opioid use disorder, understanding the affective components of the illness beyond the medical diagnosis. While studies discussing methods of imparting empathy to pharmacy students have been published, [2][3][4][5][6][7]9,11 there is no universal standard of accomplishing this.…”