Web-based portfolios for pharmaceutical care plans during advanced pharmacy practice experiences

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Digital Health Tools
• Patient Care Planning

Background:

• Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) are crucial for developing clinical skills.
• Effective documentation and feedback are essential for student learning in APPEs.
• Traditional methods may not fully capture the breadth of student contributions to patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a Web-based patient care portfolio system.
• To assess its utility in developing pharmaceutical care plans for APPE students.
• To evaluate student performance and feedback within a statewide preceptor network.

Main Methods:

• Students utilized a Web database to document 6 patient cases across 5 disease states.
• Pharmaceutical care plans were developed through case discussions, incorporating patient problems, outcomes, and interventions.
• Student interventions were analyzed by geographical region to ensure care continuity.

Main Results:

• Students documented an average of 1.8 therapeutic interventions per patient case.
• Interventions were recorded across all geographical regions, indicating broad application.
• The majority of students reported improved ability in developing pharmaceutical care plans.

Conclusions:

• The Web-based portfolio system facilitated compliance with Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards.
• The system supported the documentation of College of Pharmacy Competency Statements.
• Students found the portfolio process beneficial for skill development in pharmaceutical care planning.