Incorporation and Assessment of Portable Tablet Technology During a Patient Counseling Exercise

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy education
• Health informatics
• Patient safety technology

Background:

• Technology integration in pharmacy practice is evolving.
• Focus on enhancing patient safety and workflow efficiency.
• Exploring novel tools for pharmacy education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of portable tablet technology on patient counseling.
• To determine if tablets improve or hinder the counseling experience.
• Assessing technology's role in pharmacy student training.

Main Methods:

• Doctor of Pharmacy students were randomly assigned to tablet or desktop groups.
• Students used tablets or traditional notes during mock patient counseling.
• Surveys and grades were collected from students and instructors.

Main Results:

• Tablet users reported higher satisfaction and confidence.
• No significant difference in academic grades between groups.
• Instructors observed increased student engagement with tablets.

Conclusions:

• Portable tablets can enhance pharmacy education experiences.
• Technology should supplement, not replace, pharmacist-patient interaction.
• Essential communication skills remain paramount in patient care.