Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
University of British Columbia, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, 2405 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Pharmaceutical Sciences Building, 2405 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2021 Apr;13(4):391-396. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2020.11.004. Epub 2020 Dec 13.
Research indicates that the simulated learning tools known as virtual patients (VPs) are valued by pharmacy students and impact students' knowledge and confidence. However, research is needed to understand how students can be supported to make intended connections between VP cases and real-life clinical scenarios. The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how VP cases influence students' clinical reasoning skills, confidence, thought processes, and preparedness for their experiential practicums.
Third-year entry-to-practice doctor of pharmacy students who had completed at least one VP case in second year prior to their experiential practicums were surveyed in fall 2018 after having completed their experiential practicums. Surveys were structured to solicit student perceptions related to how students bridged VP cases and real-life clinical scenarios and were analyzed using a mixed-methods design.
Forty-three students completed the survey. Students perceived that VP cases most significantly impacted their clinical reasoning skills due to the opportunity cases afforded them to explore patient data and navigate relevant information. The largest limitation of VP cases to students' learning was that the cases differed from their experiences. Students' suggestions included opportunities for more practice using VP cases and an expanded repertoire of medical conditions offered through case exposure.
More research is needed to understand how to help students connect VP cases to their experiential practicums to make them more effective learning tools.
研究表明，虚拟患者（VP）这类模拟学习工具受到药学学生的重视，并影响学生的知识和信心。然而，我们需要研究如何支持学生将 VP 案例与现实临床场景之间建立有意联系。本研究的目的是检验 VP 案例是否以及如何影响学生的临床推理技能、信心、思维过程以及为他们的实践经验做好准备。
在完成实践经验之前，2018 年秋季，对已经完成至少一个 VP 案例的三年级入学实践药学专业的学生进行了调查，这些学生在第二年完成了 VP 案例。调查结构旨在征求学生对如何将 VP 案例与现实临床场景联系起来的看法，并使用混合方法设计进行分析。
43 名学生完成了调查。学生们认为 VP 案例对他们的临床推理技能影响最大，因为这些案例为他们提供了探索患者数据和浏览相关信息的机会。VP 案例对学生学习的最大限制是案例与他们的经验不同。学生的建议包括提供更多使用 VP 案例进行练习的机会，并通过案例接触提供更多的医疗条件。
需要进一步研究如何帮助学生将 VP 案例与实践经验联系起来，使它们成为更有效的学习工具。
