Simulated cases to improve “real-life” communication between physician assistants and pharmacy students

Abstract

Introduction: It is important to construct interprofessional education activities that simulate realistic practice, even if students are in different physical locations. This manuscript outlines an effort to provide an activity in which physician assistants and pharmacy students carry out a case-based simulation via telecommunication in their final didactic semester. Programme description: Both professions were tasked with providing optimal care to patients during a busy workday of managing multiple patients simultaneously. Evaluation: Instructional objectives were assessed through a follow-up quiz on the other’s profession, reflection questions, and appropriate documentation for each profession. Student perceptions of communication methods and the other profession were collected via an optional survey. Future plan: Based on overall responsiveness to the activity, this type of simulation is effective for providing interprofessional education while overcoming the common barriers of physical location and space.