Evaluating the APhA Foundation Incentive Grants Program: Perceptions from residency program.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice Research
• Health Outcomes Research
• Pharmacist Training and Education

Background:

• The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation Incentive Grants Program supports practice-based research to improve patient health outcomes.
• This program serves as a crucial starting point for pharmacists, residents, and students interested in innovative patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Residency Program Directors' (RPDs) perceptions of the APhA Foundation Incentive Grants Program.
• To evaluate the perceived value of program facilitation and the program's impact on practice sites.

Main Methods:

• A survey with 16 items was administered to RPDs of Incentive Grant-funded programs.
• Follow-up focus groups were conducted with a subset of RPDs to gather in-depth feedback on program experiences.

Main Results:

• 95.7% of surveyed RPDs found the Incentive Grants Program valuable for community-based practice.
• RPDs agreed that residents benefit significantly from the Incentive Grants.
• Identified areas for improvement include refining the application scoring rubric for feasibility, enhancing communication from APhA Foundation coordinators, and clarifying publication expectations.

Conclusions:

• RPDs hold a positive perception of the Incentive Grants Program.
• Streamlining program administration and communication can enhance its effectiveness.
• While valuable to community practice, the grants may offer more direct benefits to trainees than broad practice-wide impact.