A diabetes self-management education class taught by pharmacy students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Diabetes Management
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is crucial for patient outcomes.
• Pharmacy students require practical experience in patient education.
• Service-learning provides unique educational opportunities for health professions students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of pharmacy students teaching a DSME class on their competence and confidence.
• To assess the impact of a service-learning experience on pharmacy students' diabetes education skills.

Main Methods:

• Pharmacy students observed faculty-led DSME classes.
• Students subsequently organized and taught their own DSME class to patients.
• A rubric-based assessment was used by faculty to evaluate student performance.

Main Results:

• Student performance in teaching DSME classes was rated above average (mean score 3.3/4.0).
• Student confidence in providing diabetes education significantly increased post-teaching.
• The intervention enhanced students' knowledge and skills in diabetes management.

Conclusions:

• Teaching DSME classes significantly improved pharmacy students' confidence and diabetes knowledge.
• The service-learning model effectively enhanced student competence in diabetes education.
• Students provided a valuable service to patients at a student-run free clinic.