Addressing Hidden Curricula That Subvert the Patient-Centeredness "Hub" of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process "Wheel"

A Scoping Review of the Hidden Curriculum in Pharmacy Education

Objective. The hidden curriculum has been defined as teaching and learning that occur outside the formal curriculum and includes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs that students consciously or subconsciously acquire and accept. It has been identified as an inherent part of learning in health professions education and may affect students' formation of professional identity. This scoping review investigated the definition and evidence of the hidden curriculum for pharmacy education.Findings. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for primary articles investigating the hidden curriculum in pharmacy education through August 2021. A total of five papers were included in the review: four papers from the United Kingdom and one from Sweden. The focus of each paper and the elements of the hidden curriculum, along with the study quality as assessed by the quality assessment tool, varied. Three papers focused on professionalism or professional socialization, and the other two focused on patient safety. All five studies used qualitative methods including focus groups and semistructured interviews of the students and faculty. Studies also identified approaches to addressing the hidden curriculum, such as integrating formal and informal learning activities, integrating work experiences, providing sustained exposure to pharmacy practice, and development of professionalism.Summary. The definition of the hidden curriculum varied across the five studies of varying quality. The evidence of the hidden curriculum was measured qualitatively in experiential and academic settings. Recognition of the impact of the hidden curriculum and strategies for addressing its negative effects are critical to the success of not only the students but also the pharmacy profession at large.

Item development for patient-centered care preferences using a three-archetype heuristic: An exploratory study

Background

Patient-centered care is at the center of the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process; however, little is known about patient-centered care preferences and expectations for pharmacist care.

Objective

To develop and test items exploring the applicability of a proposed three-archetype heuristic for patient-centered care preferences and expectations in pharmacist care in a population of older adults using community pharmacies that provided enhanced and integrated services.

Methods

This was an exploratory analysis of a cross-sectional survey developed and distributed by postal mail to 17 Medicare-eligible patients at five Community Pharmacy Enhanced Service Network (CPESN) pharmacies in Iowa between November 2021 and January 2022. A total of 15 Likert-type archetype survey items were developed with an item developed for each of five constructs (Nature of Relationship and Locus of Control, Care Customization, Care Longevity, Intent of Communication, and Source of Value) for three archetypes ("Partner," "Client," and "Customer").Items were grouped by archetype to yield three, five-item scales, intended to reflect each archetype. Cronbach alphas (α) were calculated for each scale, measuring internal consistency. K-means clustering with silhouette analysis was performed using a group of archetype items with high internal consistency to identify clusters. Kruskal Wallis and Fisher's exact tests used to determine statistical significance for response means and frequencies between clusters, when appropriate.

Results

In total, 17 participants completed the survey (100% response rate). Cronbach alphas for the five-item scales reflecting "Partner," "Client," and "Customer" archetypes were 0.66, 0.33, and - 0.03, respectively. K-means clustering identified two clusters, labeled: "Independent Partner" and "Collaborative Partner." There were significant (p-value <0.05) differences between clusters for four of the 15 Likert-type items, suggesting the "Independent Partner" more autonomous, seek pharmacist expertise less frequently, and value pharmacist collaboration less compared to the "Collaborative Partner."

Conclusions

The items comprising the "Partner" archetype scale had a reasonably strong level of internal consistency. Older adults may desire highly tailored, co-created experience created from long-standing relationships with a particular pharmacist.