Development of a Theoretical Continuous Glucose Monitoring Module for Pharmacy Students: Preparing Pharmacists for...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Digital Health
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Digital competencies are crucial for modern pharmacy practice.
• There is a need for specialized training in digital health tools for pharmacy students.
• Continuous Glucose-Monitoring (CGM) systems represent a key area of digital health in patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a theoretical module focused on digital health and data analysis for pharmacy students.
• To assess the impact of integrating a continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) wearable device into the curriculum.
• To measure changes in students' knowledge, self-assessed competencies, and satisfaction with digital health training.

Main Methods:

• A theoretical module on digital health and data analysis was developed.
• A continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) wearable device was integrated into practical teaching sessions.
• Pre- and post-module knowledge tests and self-assessment questionnaires were administered to final-year pharmacy students.
• Student satisfaction and perceptions of digital health in pharmacy were evaluated post-module.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in both knowledge and self-assessed CGM-related skills was observed post-module (p < 0.05).
• Students demonstrated expanded understanding of digital health solutions, particularly CGM systems.
• The module successfully enhanced students' self-reported competence in utilizing CGM technology.

Conclusions:

• The developed module effectively enhanced pharmacy students' digital competencies in the area of digital health and CGM.
• This represents a foundational step in providing essential training on CGM digital health tools for pharmacy students in Germany.
• The findings support the integration of wearable technology and digital health training into pharmacy curricula to prepare students for future practice.