Advocating for Patient Care Literacy

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Medical Humanities

Background:

• The traditional view of an educated pharmacist often emphasizes scientific knowledge.
• There is a growing recognition of the need for enhanced communication and empathy in patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the value of arts and humanities in pharmacy education.
• To define and propose a framework for 'patient care literacy' in pharmacists.
• To suggest methods for integrating arts and humanities into pharmacy curricula.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the role of arts and humanities in professional development.
• Definition of 'patient care literacy' as a component of humane pharmacy practice.
• Proposal of a curricular reform framework and specific methods for implementation.

Main Results:

• Arts and humanities, collectively termed HARTSS (humanities, arts, and social sciences), are crucial for developing patient care literacy.
• A conceptual framework is proposed to integrate HARTSS into pharmacy curricula.
• Specific methods are suggested for enhancing the use of HARTSS in training pharmacy graduates.

Conclusions:

• Arts and humanities education is essential for cultivating more humane and effective pharmacists.
• Curricular reform focusing on HARTSS can advance patient care literacy.
• Empirical research is necessary to quantify the benefits of arts and humanities in pharmacy education.