Effectiveness of teaching and evaluation methods of clinical competencies for pharmacy: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: This review aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the teaching and assessment methodologies used to develop fundamental clinical skills in pharmacist who are training in patient care.

Methods: SCOPUS, EMBASE, ERIC, and PubMed were searched for original studies that featured randomized controlled trials as the study design published until March 2024. The search and extraction process followed PRISMA Guidelines.

Results: The database search resulted in 2954 articles, of which 14 met the inclusion criteria. Four studies developed and tested interactive web-based software as the teaching methodologies. Eight studies applied simulation to their teaching and/or evaluation strategies. Two articles used high fidelity simulation, and the remaining studies used standardized patients associated with other teaching and evaluation techniques. The simulation methodologies were more effective than the conventional ones in three studies. In the other studies, the interventions were as effective or better than the control, albeit there no meaningful differences between the methods. In the studies that focused on the assessment methods, immediate feedback was preferred by students over delayed feedback. Additionally, the tested assessment tool, General Level Framework, proposed a pragmatic assessment from which the individual's training needs were identified.

Conclusion: Few studies involved the objective quantification of learning beyond pre- and post-intervention knowledge tests. Proper assessment in pharmaceutical education requires expansion beyond the administration of student satisfaction, self-efficacy research tools, and knowledge assessments, and should encompass an examination of clinical performance and critical thinking.

Keywords: Assessment; Clinical competence; Clinical pharmacists; Pharmacy education; Students, pharmacy.