Escaping single disease silos: Assessing an escape room related to multiple disease states

Use of escape rooms in pharmacy education has increased; however, evidence is limited on their effectiveness in reinforcing pharmacy content. The purpose of this cohort study is to evaluate the effect of an escape room activity on second-year pharmacy students' knowledge across multiple disease states.

An escape room activity was integrated into a Doctor of Pharmacy Integrated Pharmacy Laboratory course to reinforce multiple disease states previously taught in Integrated Pharmacotherapy courses. Students completed a pre- and post-activity quiz related to their knowledge. Data was collected in three cohorts of students in the Integrated Pharmacy Laboratory course.

Fifty-five students who were enrolled in the course from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 opted into the study. In total, a large effect size was observed between pre- and post-activity scores (Cohen's d = 1.80, p < 0.001), indicating a 1.8 standard deviation increase in quiz scores. Individually, all three cohorts exhibited a large effect size, suggesting a consistent pattern in quiz score improvements (Fall 2023: Cohen's d = 1.29, p < 0.001; Summer 2024: Cohen's d = 2.17, p = 0.001; Fall 2024: Cohen's d = 2.76, p < 0.001). Student perception of the activity was overall positive, noting its creative approach on solidifying knowledge of multiple disease states.

The escape room activity enhanced students' knowledge of managing multiple disease states, highlighting its potential as an effective active-learning strategy in pharmacy education to promote student engagement and knowledge reinforcement. Future implementations should consider cohorts with larger sample sizes.