Evaluation of physical assessment education for practising pharmacists: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Background: Pharmacists are now seeking to incorporate physical assessment (PA) into their practices. This trend prompted the creation, by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists, of a 30-h course specifically designed for practising pharmacists. Objective: To evaluate pharmacists’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in performing PA after completing the course. Methods: All course participants were invited to complete 2 anonymous online surveys, immediately and 6 months after course completion. Results: Of the 218 participants, 82 (38%) responded to the survey administered immediately after the course, and 77 (35%) completed this survey in full. About half of the respondents (39/79 [49%]) reported use of PA on a real patient before taking the course. Lack of formal training and lack of comfort were the most frequently selected barriers to performing PA. All respondents (79/79) agreed that the course had improved their knowledge of PA, 96% (76/79) agreed that it had improved their skills, and 90% (71/79) agreed that it had improved their ability to care for patients. In addition, 61% (48/79) and 67% (53/79), respectively, agreed that they felt confident performing PA and intervening with regard to a patient’s drug therapy on the basis of physical findings. Thirty-eight (17%) of the course participants completed the 6-month follow-up survey. In that survey, the most frequently selected barrier to performing PA was lack of time. Paired data, available for 23 respondents, showed a significant increase in use of PA on real patients over time (p = 0.013 by2 test). However, there was no significant improvement in confidence in performing PA or intervening on a patient’s drug therapy on the basis of physical findings (p > 0.05 by 2-sided t test). The primary limitation of this study was potential responder bias. Conclusions: A PA course designed for pharmacists improved participants’ self-reported knowledge and skills, as well as self-perceived ability to care for patients. Six months after the course, two-thirds of respondents had used PA in practice. However, there was no improvement in confidence in performing such assessments or using the findings to intervene on a patient’s drug therapy.