Learning activities to build population health management skills for pharmacy students

Abstract

Objective. To describe the implementation and evaluation of population health management learning activities in a second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) course. Methods. Population health learning sessions were implemented in a step-wise manner: population needs assessment activity to identify priority programs for implementation given a specific patient population; didactic materials to introduce program evaluation foundational knowledge; program evaluation design activity to evaluate implemented programs using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Program Evaluation Framework; and evaluation of program outcome data. Students’ self-rated abilities (grouped into Bloom’s Taxonomy classifications) and perceptions before and after program evaluation activities were assessed. Qualitative analyses evaluated student feedback on learning sessions. Results. Students’ self-rated abilities for all Bloom’s classifications increased after the learning ses-sions. Student perceptions on importance of program evaluation also improved (from 71% reporting “agree” or “strongly agree” pre-activities to 79% post-activities). Students found the application to case scenarios and the opportunity to integrate each component of program evaluation into a complete process useful. Conclusion. Step-wise population health management learning sessions were implemented, culminat-ing in skill-based program evaluation activities. The activities improved students’ self-rated abilities and perceptions regarding program evaluation. Areas for improvement for the learning sessions were also identified and will inform future instructional design.