Comparing simulation modalities for health equity communication training in pharmacy education: A mixed-methods...

The updated Pharmacist Patient Care Process requires pharmacists to evaluate social determinants of health (SDoH), cultural considerations, and health literacy as core competencies. Pharmacy education must systematically prepare students to navigate complex communication challenges with diverse patient populations, yet evidence comparing simulation formats for health disparities training remains limited.

This mixed-methods study compared three simulation modalities: text-based, live-actor video, and AI-generated video simulations for teaching health disparities communication skills. Six interactive case simulations addressing barriers documented to disproportionately affect specific populations were developed using branching narrative structures based on the Healthy People 2030 framework. Second and third-year PharmD students (n = 16) in a health disparities elective completed all simulations asynchronously in April-May 2025.

Post-intervention survey respondents (n = 12) rated live-actor video simulations most effective across all competency domains: recognizing disparities (72.7% rated "very effective"), identifying communication techniques (72.7%), understanding diverse perspectives (72.7%), and developing practical solutions (72.7%). Students most frequently ranked live-actor videos as most beneficial (n = 7, 58%), followed by text-based (n = 2, 17%) and AI-generated formats (n = 1, 8%). All respondents (n = 11) reported increased motivation to address health disparities. Students planned to implement validation of patient concerns (91.7%), cultural humility approaches (75%), and shared decision-making (66.7%) in future practice.

According to student self-assessments, live-actor video simulations were perceived as most effective for developing health disparities communication competencies. Multimodal simulation-based approaches represent a promising and scalable strategy for preparing pharmacy students to provide culturally responsive, equity-driven patient care.