Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
Pharmacists are increasingly incorporated into general practice teams globally and have been shown to positively impact patient outcomes. However, little research to date has focused on determining general practitioners' (GPs') perceptions of practice-based pharmacist roles in countries yet to establish such roles. To explore GPs' perceptions towards integrating pharmacists into practices and determine if any significant associations were present between GPs' perceptions and their demographic characteristics. In June 2022, a survey was disseminated to GPs in Ireland via post (n = 500 in Munster region), Twitter, WhatsApp, and an online GP support and education network. Quantitative data were captured through multiple option and Likert-scale questions and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were captured via free-text boxes, with the open comments analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 152 valid responses were received (24.6% response to postal survey). Overall, GPs welcomed the role of practice-based pharmacists and perceived that they would increase patient safety. Most agreed with practice pharmacists providing medicine information (98%) vs. 23% agreeing with practice pharmacists prescribing independently. Most agreed they would partake in a practice pharmacist pilot (78.6%). The free-text comments described current pressures in general practice, existing relationships with pharmacists, funding and governance strategies, potential roles for pharmacists in general practice, and anticipated outcomes of such roles. This study provides a deeper understanding of GPs' perceptions of integrating pharmacists into practices and the demographic characteristics associated with different perceptions, which may help better inform future initiatives to integrate pharmacists into practices.
Pharmacists play pivotal roles in improving vaccination rates. However, absence of vaccination related undergraduate education impede their ability for these roles. The study aims were to scope vaccination related education in pharmacy colleges in the Middle East (ME) and to describe potential facilitators and barriers to vaccination administration education using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A multinational survey of pharmacy faculty across fourteen Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern countries, involving 132 colleges, examined vaccination education. Data collection involved contacting deans for faculty nominations. Data was analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, (SPSS®). The questionnaire response rate was 64.7% (89/132), with 89.9% of colleges including vaccination in their curricula. The topics commonly covered included vaccine development (n=44, 97.8%), vaccine routes of administration (n=43, 97.7%), and vaccine indications (n=38, 95%). Planning and marketing vaccination programs (n=35, 77.8%), documentation and record-keeping of vaccinations (n=33, 75.0%), legal and regulatory issues related to vaccinations (n=32, 69.6%) were the least adequately covered topics. Most common methods used in teaching were didactic lectures (n=74, 92.5%). Fifty-three out of 87 respondents (60.9%) responded that their college does not currently teach "vaccination administration". Lack of resources, attitudes of other health professionals and not prioritizing vaccination were considered as barriers for implementing vaccination administration. Most pharmacy colleges in the ME cover vaccination-related topics in undergraduate curricula, yet they underemphasize vaccination administration and lack experiential learning methods. Implementing vaccination administration education requires addressing barriers related to the outer and inner settings, and planning, with stakeholder engagement.
Pharmacists utilize clinical reasoning (CR) to improve patient outcomes via medication optimization. It is critical to develop these skills in student pharmacists, yet optimal pedagogies to teach and assess CR are unknown. Peer feedback may be used to develop CR in student pharmacists, but a certain feedback quality must be reached to be effective. This study sought to evaluate if student pharmacists could provide similar quality peer feedback compared to pharmacy resident teaching assistant (TA) feedback. This was a retrospective, mixed-methods pedagogical analysis comparing the quality of first-year student pharmacist peer feedback to resident TA CR feedback. The CR comments were defined using the intellectual standards of CR. Quality was assessed for task specification, gap identification, actionability, and process orientation by 2 independent investigators. Student performance and perceptions were also assessed. Mann-Whitney U, t tests, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze data where appropriate. Clinical reasoning feedback from peers (N = 805) and TAs (N = 206) were analyzed. Interrater reliability for feedback quality was moderate to substantial. Overall, peer CR feedback was of higher quality regarding task specification and process orientation while TA CR feedback was of higher quality regarding gap identification and actionability. Students receiving peer feedback performed better on a final patient case than those receiving TA feedback (95.2% vs 92.3%). Overall, the peer feedback process was well received by students. Student pharmacists can provide similar quality feedback as resident TAs. Peer feedback offers an alternative to resident TA feedback and has the potential to contribute to improved CR skills.
Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing can be useful for providing information about a patient's drug response by increasing drug efficacy and decreasing the incidence of adverse drug events. While PGx tests were previously only offered to patients under healthcare provider supervision, they are now available as direct to consumer (DTC) tests. This study aimed to assess how accurately individuals from the general population were able to interpret a sample PGx test report and if accuracy differed based on individuals' numeracy or prior genetic counseling (GC). We surveyed 293 individuals from the general population, ascertained through ResearchMatch. The survey included questions about PGx test interpretation, numeracy, and genetic literacy. In our cohort, numeracy level impacted PGx result interpretation, with those of high numeracy performing statistically significantly better on both the table format and graphical format (p value = 0.002 and p value <0.001, respectively) and genetic knowledge questions (p value <0.001) than those with low/average numeracy. In addition, previous GC did not impact test interpretation or genetic knowledge, but the number of individuals with prior GC was small (n = 26). We found that numeracy had a significant impact on correct interpretation of PGx test reports. Because many individuals in the USA have low numeracy levels, it is extremely important that patients do not make their own medication management decision based on the test results and that they consult with their physicians about their PGx testing. The importance of consultation and discussion with providers about results should be emphasized on the test report.
Pharmacology is an increasingly important area of study for oral hygienists, as it provides the scientific basis for safe and effective oral healthcare. However, a lack of fundamental understanding of the discipline among clinical graduates can present significant challenges. Oral hygienists require pharmacological training to meet the requirements of their scope of practice. Pharmacology knowledge assists with the diagnosis and treatment of oral conditions and forms the foundation for further clinical competency development. The knowledge and perceptions of pharmacology for pharmacy, nursing and medical students have been well documented; however, little information is present for Bachelor of Oral Hygiene (BOH) students. This paper sets out to evaluate BOH students' and recent graduates' knowledge and perceptions of pharmacology at a single higher institution in Pretoria to identify possible gaps and weaknesses. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data using an online questionnaire. The English-language questionnaire consisted of the self-reported perceptions and knowledge and actual knowledge of pharmacology of undergraduate BOH students and recent graduates. The questionnaire consisted of multiple choice questions, true or false questions and Likert scale questions. Ethics was obtained from the institution's Research Ethics Committee (REC 350/2021). Overall, the participants perceived the pharmacology module positively and understood its importance. Concerns were raised about insufficient time for studying and that assessments were more aligned to gaining factual knowledge than the development of problem-solving skills. Students rated their knowledge between 57.24% and 69.44%, with BOH III students and graduates having a statistically significant greater self-rated knowledge of antivirals, antifungals and common agents used to treat oral conditions in comparison with BOH I and BOH II students. Overall, BOH students and graduates' actual knowledge was between 45.24% and 66.84%. Although not statistically significant, the total self-rated knowledge of BOH III students and recent graduates tended to be higher than their actual knowledge. Knowledge deficits were evident with some pharmacological concepts across the various BOH groups, such as pharmacokinetics, pain, drugs altering dental treatment I: central nervous system drugs, drugs altering dental treatment II: respiratory and endocrine drugs, drugs altering dental treatment III: cardiovascular drugs, drug-drug interactions and common agents used to treat oral conditions. Self-rated knowledge deficiencies were noted by students and recent graduates for certain pharmacological concepts and were supported by the measurement of their actual knowledge. Further investigation into knowledge deficiencies is needed to guide curriculum review to further strengthen oral hygienists' pharmacological competencies and ensure alignment to their scope of practice.
Pharmacovigilance stands out for its importance in obtaining existing knowledge about medicine and patient safety and should be recognized as a continuous line of study. It constitutes a highly relevant component in the activities of health professionals, with spontaneous notification of suspected adverse drug reactions being its main emphasis. The underreporting that persists can be overcome through continuous professional development programs, reinforcing theoretical and practical knowledge in the curricular plans of health courses. As a result, more educated professionals will also allow citizens to recognize the importance of pharmacovigilance. The main objective of this study was to describe and characterize the teaching-learning process of pharmacovigilance in Portugal, analyzing the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of students and health professionals. In total, ninety-three curricular unit forms of the seventeen healthcare courses included were analyzed, among which only three referred to pharmacovigilance as mandatory and thirty-nine did not address any keywords. The questionnaire applied was answered by 650 participants, both students (62%) and professionals (38%). Approximately 84.4% of the students and 54.7% of the professionals affirmed that they had never spontaneously reported an adverse drug reaction. Only 24.6% of the students and 17.8% of professionals referred to the existence of specific course content dedicated to pharmacovigilance in their coursework. In view of these results, it is evident that there is a need for a wider reflection regarding the further training and constant update of practicing professionals as well as in diverse health institutions, investing in the creation of an academic curriculum that integrates pharmacovigilance in healthcare courses.
Pharmacy schools recognize the need for flexibility and comprehensive curricular transformation with a competency-based focus to effectively prepare for the evolving practitioner competencies and challenges of the pharmacy profession. The curricular implementation of evidence-based teaching and learning theories and practices demands educator proficiency through skills development with indispensable faculty leadership support. Our scoping review of online databases and pharmacy education-related journals aims to identify faculty development interventions or teaching proficiency programs that integrate educational and pedagogical theories. Original studies and reviews published between 2010 and 2022 were screened based on four inclusion criteria. Thirty-four manuscripts were eligible for full-text analysis, of which seven results referenced target faculty pedagogy knowledge development. Nine key messages, as Results Statements, synthesize and provide a framework for our results analysis. An ongoing Hungarian intervention model of comprehensive faculty development with strong interdisciplinary cooperation is discussed in our study to illustrate the applicability of the Results Statements through each stage of the process. Educator motivation and relatedness to students or awareness of the educator roles are intrinsic factors, which may not be easily detectable yet significantly impact teaching proficiency and student learning outcomes. The integration of evidence-based pedagogical knowledge and training in educator proficiency development contributes to the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of faculty interventions.
Pharmacy skills development is essential to pharmacy programs to ensure "practice-ready" graduates. The objective was to describe the landscape of skills laboratory (lab) courses and faculty workload across United States schools and colleges of pharmacy (S/COP). The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Laboratory Instructors Special Interest Group disseminated an anonymous questionnaire to collect faculty demographics, skills lab format, faculty workload, and job satisfaction. Descriptive statistics were generated, and paired t-tests were used to assess changes before and during COVID-19. Faculty from 44 of 142 S/COP responded. Participants (n = 45) were more frequently assistant professors (49%), non-tenure track (80%), and female (98%). A mean of 103 students per class, with a mean of two lab courses in both the first and second years and 1.6 in the third year were reported. Courses had a mean 1.6 lab coordinators each. Many institutions leverage non-lab faculty, pharmacy volunteers, post-graduate trainees, and senior professional students to assist. Faculty reported a mean 28.2 hours per week related to lab activities. The mean assigned percent effort was 44% for teaching in the skills lab, demonstrating consistency with effort calculations. Job satisfaction (scale 1-10) decreased from 7.6 before COVID-19 to 6.4 during COVID-19 (P < .01), with satisfaction specifically with their lab role decreasing from 7.5 to 6.6 (P = .003). Skills lab faculty reported significant time coordinating labs and identified the need for additional support. S/COP should ensure appropriate personnel resources are available to provide quality clinical skills training.
Pharmacy students are important future stakeholders in community pharmacy, with business management being an integral part of practice. Thus, this study aims to determine pharmacy students' perceptions of the business management skills required of the community pharmacist and how these skills should be taught within the pharmacy curriculum. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design involved the administration of an online survey to pharmacy students in years 1 and 4 across 2 Australian universities, followed by focus groups to gather in-depth perceptions. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and associations between years 1 and 4 and outcomes were explored. A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used for focus group transcriptions. A total of 51 pharmacy students responded to the online survey, with 85% agreeing that business management is an essential part of the community pharmacist's skill set. Students indicated a preference for learning management during their community pharmacy placement, university workshops, and via mentorship. Although thematic analysis of student focus groups revealed a preference for learning clinical skills during their university education, business management was also recognized as important. Enthusiasm for management, however, could be increased by exposure to mentors who display leadership and are passionate about business management. Pharmacy students considered business management as intrinsic to the role of community pharmacists and recommended a multimethod teaching approach to learning these skills. These findings could be used by pharmacy educators and the profession to inform both the content and the delivery of business management in pharmacy curricula.
Pharmacy students' perception of the effectiveness of remote online learning experienced during the pandemic, and their learning expectations post-pandemic were unknown. The main purpose of this study was to examine students' perceived effectiveness of online teaching and learning activities developed for active learning and pharmacy professional skills development, and the feasibility of online assessments. A cross-sectional online survey involving second-year pharmacy students of Monash Malaysia (MA) and Monash Australia (PA) campuses was conducted. The survey consisted of 15 Likert-scale multiple-choice questions and an open-ended question. Data were analysed statistically. Students at both MA and PA campuses were satisfied with the remote online learning experienced during the pandemic but indicated a preference for a blended learning approach. Students at the MA campus felt that on-campus face-to-face classes were more engaging and advantageous for their learning and skills development (P < .05), and on-campus assessments allowed them to engage and perform better (P < .05) compared with students at the PA campus who felt neutral or disagreed. Both student cohorts were happy with some of the lectures being conducted online synchronously or asynchronously. Differences in cultures, and learning behaviour and preference may influence learners' perceptions and expectations of online learning. This study suggests that blended learning involving both online and face-to-face interactive activities may promote engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes of culturally diverse learner populations post-pandemic.
Phase-type distributions (PHDs), which are defined as the distribution of the lifetime up to the absorption in an absorbent Markov chain, are an appropriate candidate to model the lifetime of any system, since any non-negative probability distribution can be approximated by a PHD with sufficient precision. Despite PHD potential, friendly statistical programs do not have a module implemented in their interfaces to handle PHD. Thus, researchers must consider others statistical software such as R, Matlab or Python that work with the compilation of code chunks and functions. This fact might be an important handicap for those researchers who do not have sufficient knowledge in programming environments. In this paper, a new interactive web application developed with shiny is introduced in order to adjust PHD to an experimental dataset. This open access app does not require any kind of knowledge about programming or major mathematical concepts. Users can easily compare the graphic fit of several PHDs while estimating their parameters and assess the goodness of fit with just several clicks. All these functionalities are exhibited by means of a numerical simulation and modeling the time to live since the diagnostic in primary breast cancer patients.
Phenomenon: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are novel curricula that place medical students in long-term learning and coaching relationships with faculty and require adaptation of teaching practices on the behalf of faculty to maximize learning outcomes. An understanding of how teaching in an LIC model differs from teaching trainees in more traditional models is critical to ensuring curricular innovation success through faculty development. Approach: A qualitative approach was used to describe the teaching practices of faculty and learning experiences of student participants in longitudinal integrated clerkships in different clinical and community settings. Forty-five faculty and 20 students participated in focus groups. Thematic analysis of focus group data was used to identify differences and similarities between groups, sites, and specialties. Findings: Two groupings of themes emerged in thematic analysis: (1) precepting strategies distinctive to the longitudinal integrated clerkship model and (2) precepting strategies enhanced when employed in the LIC model. Distinct to the LIC model, preceptors and students described the importance of understanding the curricular structure and supporting students in longitudinal care of patients. Enhanced in the LIC model are the strategies of relationship-based teaching, support of autonomy, feedback, and support of longitudinal growth in skills. Insights: Students and faculty across LIC sites were broadly aligned in their opinions of best practices for teaching in an LIC model. The longitudinal relationship between student and faculty in an LIC distinguishes this model from traditional block rotations and a distinctive approach to successful teaching is demonstrated. Preceptors use time afforded to build trusting relationships with students, which created opportunity for novel teaching approaches and enhanced otherwise effective teaching strategies. A focus on orientation to the curricular model and support of longitudinal relationships with patients may serve as an anchor for faculty development efforts in the development of an LIC.
Phenomenon: Most medical schools in Indonesia have developed innovations to integrate public health content into the curricula. However, ensuring that all schools meet appropriate standards regarding the quality of subjects, content relevancy, and course delivery takes time and effort. Approach: This study employed a rapid assessment procedure to identify the current knowledge and competencies required to practice medicine effectively in underserved, border, and outer island areas of Indonesia. Ninety-three participants from six remote districts were involved in 12 focus group discussions. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis using the social determinants of health as a guiding framework. Findings: Under decentralized health system governance, the local socio-geographical context is critical to understanding the current public health landscape. Medical education with respect to public health must emphasize physicians' ability to advocate and encourage the coordination of healthcare services in responding to disasters, as well as community-based surveillance and other relevant data for synergistic disease control. As part of a healthcare facility management team, prospective doctors should be able to apply systems thinking and provide critical input to improve service delivery at local health facilities. Also, recognizing underlying factors is essential to realizing effective interprofessional collaboration practices and aligning them with leadership skills. Insights: This study outlines recommendations for medical schools and relevant colleges in formulating compulsory block or integrated public health curricula. It also provides a public health learning topic that may aid medical schools in training their students to be competent for practice in underserved, border, and outer island areas. Medical schools should offer initiatives for students to acquire the necessary public health competencies merited by the population's health needs.