A Real-Time Online Referral System Pilot for Preceptor-Reported Issues

The purpose of this study was to evaluate preliminary results of a centralized online referral system that facilitated expedient intervention in experiential environments.

An online referral system was established for students, faculty, staff, and preceptors to bring immediate student concerns to the school's attention and request real-time support. Experiential academic and personal concerns submitted by preceptors were managed collaboratively by student affairs and experiential education personnel. Referrals from 2018 to 2022 were deidentified and analyzed using qualitative methods. Quantitative and qualitative data from the 2019 and 2023 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Preceptor Surveys related to student support and the referral system were assessed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to determine preceptor satisfaction with the referral system.

Fifty-five referrals were submitted, 46 of which involved students in the second professional year. A total of 182 codes were applied to the data. The most common codes were related to Professionalism (n = 94, 51.6%), Personal Issues (n = 50, 27.4%), and Academic Concerns (n = 28, 15.3%). Preceptors agreed or strongly agreed that they knew how to utilize processes for academic misconduct (86.3%), professional misconduct (90.4%), and harassment/discrimination (88.1%), and survey responses ranked higher compared to national and peer institution benchmarks. Preceptors positively endorsed the referral system and support from the school.

This study found similar preceptor concerns compared to previous studies. Preceptors indicated knowledge of support systems and positively regarded the system and school support. These initial results suggest the system is a promising method to support student success. More studies are needed on interventions applied and student success outcomes.