Multi-site heart disease risk assessment service provided by pharmacy students

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pharmacy Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of mortality.
• Effective patient education and risk assessment are crucial for CHD prevention.
• Ambulatory care settings offer opportunities for patient-centered health services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a pharmacy student-led service for coronary heart disease (CHD) risk assessment.
• To assess patient acceptance and educational impact of the service.
• To measure the effect of the service on pharmacy student knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Fourth-year pharmacy students provided CHD risk assessments in physicians' offices during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE).
• Patient satisfaction was measured using a survey.
• Student CHD knowledge was evaluated through pretest and posttest assessments.

Main Results:

• Fifty-seven students educated 311 patients on CHD risk.
• 95% of surveyed patients found the service helpful for understanding CHD risk.
• 31% of patients identified a previously unknown personal CHD risk factor.
• Student posttest scores significantly improved compared to pretest scores (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy student-led CHD risk assessment services in ambulatory care are effective.
• The service provided significant educational benefits for both patients and students.
• This model demonstrates a valuable role for pharmacy students in patient cardiovascular risk management.