Evaluation of two different poverty simulations with professional phase pharmacy students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Disparities
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Patient care is influenced by healthcare students' attitudes.
• Exposure to patient struggles can improve healthcare delivery.
• Understanding poverty's impact on health is crucial for future pharmacists.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the impact of an online game (SPENT) on pharmacy students' attitudes towards poverty.
• Assess the retention of attitude changes from the SPENT intervention over nine months.
• Determine the added benefit of a live simulation (CAPS) following the online game.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-nine pharmacy students participated in the study.
• Students completed the SPENT online game and the CAPS live simulation.
• The Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) measured attitudes before and after interventions.

Main Results:

• The SPENT game significantly improved student scores (p=0.046).
• The CAPS simulation also significantly improved scores (p=0.001).
• Overall, both interventions led to a significant positive change in student attitudes (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Both the SPENT online game and CAPS live simulation effectively improved pharmacy students' empathy towards individuals experiencing poverty.
• The interventions demonstrated a positive impact on attitudes relevant to patient care.
• Educational strategies involving simulations can enhance healthcare students' understanding of socioeconomic factors affecting health.