Pilot of a joint bed-side teaching course for medical and pharmacy university students

Background and aim: Interprofessional education of medical and pharmacy students may improve competence-based university teaching. Investigations: We developed a joint bed-side teaching to improve patient-related competencies in identifying drug-related problems in hospitalized patients at a university cardiology department. Students were randomly allocated in mixed teams of medical and pharmacy students (1:3). The concept consisted of four parts: (i) kick-off session (day 1), (ii) file analysis and bed-side patient interview (day 2), (iii) medication analysis (free time management), and (iv) presentation of the acquired results (day 3). Expectations and competencies, predefined in 10 categories and 10 assessment levels (0-none to 10-maximum), were evaluated before and after the course (degree of fulfillment of the expectations reported after the course). Results: Overall, 12 students participated, eight of whom were female. Median age was 23 years (Q25/Q75: 22/24). The median time at university was 8 semesters (Q25/Q75: 7/9). The competencies were assessed by the students before and after the course in the following categories: Competencies in "Treatment of diseases" (median rating before/after the course: 6/7; n.s.), "Diagnostics of diseases" (4.5/5; n.s.), "Future physician-pharmacist cooperation" (6/8; p=0.005), "Interaction with patients" (6.5/7; n.s.), "Cardiology" (5/7; p=0.012), "Interprofessional student communication" (6.5/9; p=0.005), "Dealing with patient-oriented questions" (6.5/8; n.s.), "Future professional life" (5/7.5; p=0.012), "Practical problem solving" (6/7; p=0.027), "Scientific work" (6/7.5; n.s.). Expectations before the course were highest (median of 10) in the categories "Future physician-pharmacist cooperation", "Dealing with patient-oriented questions", "Future professional life", and "Practical problem solving". The highest levels of expectation fulfilment were reported after the course for the categories "Future physician-pharmacist cooperation" and "Interprofessional student-communication". In the free text, interprofessional collaboration was frequently mentioned as a particularly positive aspect of the course. Conclusions: A pilot joint bed-side teaching course for medical and pharmacy students was feasible and an early interprofessional collaboration during medical and pharmacy studies may improve several competencies particularily regarding competencies in physician-pharmacist cooperation and in interprofessional student communication.