Medication Optimization and Patient Education in Heart Failure: A Standardized Patient Case for Clerkship Students

Heart failure is not only a common cause of hospitalization, it is also a condition associated with a high rate of readmission following discharge to home due to several factors including complex medication regimens. Medical management of patients with heart failure involves a number of monitoring parameters of which both physicians and patients must be aware, but are often not.

In this exercise, clerkship students are presented with a patient scenario in which they are tasked with optimizing medication therapy as well as providing patient education regarding medications to engage and empower the patient to adhere to the prescribed regimen.

We found that students were most successful communicating the reason why medications were prescribed. Students exhibited similar performance regarding the likelihood of providing education regarding adverse drug events that could be anticipated. On the other hand, students were much less inclined to communicate appropriate monitoring and intensification information to patients.

Utilizing this case with third-year medical students highlights the need for additional opportunities for students to practice medication-related communication skills. In addition to its applicability to medical students, this case may also have utility in interprofessional education activities that involve learners from pharmacy or nursing programs who will be involved with reconciling, dispensing, educating, or administering medications to patients.