A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of structured patient interactions on pharmacy students' counselling behaviours and attitudes

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To determine whether pharmacy students who performed Diabetes Checks with patients have greater improvements in attitudes and behaviour regarding monitoring than students who performed a control activity. The Diabetes Check is a brief structured interaction that was designed to facilitate patient-pharmacist conversations about monitoring A1c, blood pressure and cholesterol (diabetes ABCs). Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted where students in the intervention group performed five to ten Diabetes Checks. In the control group, students performed two drug-profile reviews for patients with diabetes. Students completed a pre- and post-assessment of the frequency of monitoring behaviour and attitudes, including self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, role beliefs (counselling role orientation and monitoring role orientation) and mattering. Improvements in behaviours and attitudes were assessed with bivariate and multiple linear regression. The study setting was University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy and its affiliated Ambulatory Pharmaceutical Care Clerkship community pharmacies. Key findings Of 130 students, 119 (92%) completed surveys at both time points. Students who completed the Diabetes Check intervention had greater improvements in the frequency of monitoring patients' A1c values and in their counselling role orientation than control group students. Conclusions The Diabetes Check improved pharmacy students' monitoring behaviour and general counselling beliefs. The Diabetes Check is a practical intervention to get patients and pharmacy students working together to monitor diabetes and potentially improve patient health.