Development and assessment of social and emotional competence through simulated patient consultations

To determine whether a quantitative tool could be used to measure social emotional competence and whether the development of social emotional competence through a pharmacy practicum course is possible.

First-year pharmacy students completed the Social Emotional Development Inventory (SED-I) online and then participated in a series of mock patient consultations on smoking cessation and nonprescription medication.

The 212 students enrolled in the course completed the SED-I. Evaluation of students' performance in the clinical cases using a patient counseling assessment form showed that students' social emotional competencies significantly improved. Observer ratings for "influence" and "connection" on the assessment form predicted student performance in the clinical cases.

Role-play exercises in which students engage in patient consultations can be used to develop social emotional competence in pharmacy students, and the SED-I and a patient counseling assessment form can be used to assess learning and improvement in this area.