Implementation of a Mental Health Telehealth Simulation for Student Pharmacists

To implement a mental health telehealth simulation, evaluate student pharmacist performance of telehealth skills, and gather student pharmacist opinions regarding confidence and comfort conducting telehealth and interest in telehealth practice.

A mental health telehealth simulation was developed for student pharmacists in the second professional year. The simulation involved 4 components: reviewing a patient chart and guidelines in preparation for the simulation; logging into the telehealth simulation and reviewing additional patient information; interviewing a standardized patient to gather information; and presenting written recommendations. A psychiatrist was consulted during simulation development. A survey was conducted before and after the simulation to gather students' opinions about telehealth and their comfort and confidence with telehealth patient interaction skills.

Fifty-eight student pharmacists completed the simulation during Fall 2024. Student pharmacists performed well overall, with an average score of 92%. Areas of weaker performance included recommending nonpharmacologic therapy options (74%) and providing education about when to seek emergency care (77%). Following the simulation, students reported higher confidence in providing patient care via telehealth, identifying therapeutic needs, assessing health history, and utilizing pharmacologic knowledge. Students also felt more prepared for upcoming experiential activities, but no change was observed in telehealth career interest.

The telehealth simulation increased student pharmacists' perceived comfort and improved confidence in telehealth delivery skills, and increased feelings of preparedness for experiential rotations. Providing patient care via telehealth is an important skill for student pharmacists to learn and practice, considering its rapidly expanding role in health care delivery.