Community-based collaboration with high school theater students as standardized patients.

OBJECTIVES

To describe a collaborative undertaking between a private school of pharmacy (Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy) and a public high school (John Handley High School) in the development, and implementation of a partnership utilizing high school theater students as standardized patients.

METHODS

High school theater students were trained to portray patients within the Standardized Patient Assessment Laboratory. The patient encounters were videotaped and evaluated by both peer and faculty members. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, post-encounter surveys of students and faculty members, and encounter grades were used to evaluate the outcomes.

RESULTS

Pharmacy students exhibited competence in clinical assessment skills as evidenced by high encounter grades (91.5% +/- 6.8%) and 100% positive faculty feedback. The high school theater students self-reported that their improvisational skills improved through learning patient conditions and behaviors. Both schools met their mission statement and accreditation goals, including increased collaboration with the community.

CONCLUSION

This model for collaboration between a school of pharmacy and a high school using adolescents as simulated patients was successful in creating a beneficial learning experience for both the theater and pharmacy students.