Evaluation of pharmacy student empathy toward patients living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and caregivers following a dementia simulation.

Abstract

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) is a leading cause of death in the United States, with national goals in place to improve the quality of care provided to this population. With little available literature on empathy training for pharmacy students in caring for patients living with ADRD, this study outlined the implementation process of an immersive sensory experience, the Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT), into a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum and evaluated the impact of the experience on pharmacy students' empathy for persons living with ADRD. After completing the VDT, quantitative analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in the pharmacy students' ability to capably complete tasks and relax, and a positive change in their perceptions of the need for improved care for persons living with ADRD. Qualitative analytical approaches identified themes of "Empathy," "Patient Care and Advocacy," "Education," as well as the cognitive, mental, and physical impact of the experience. Valuable lessons learned while providing ADRD empathy training to Doctor of Pharmacy students includes reallocation of faculty resources, curricular development of an innovative empathy-building experience for students, and improved experience delivery efficiency. Overall, a significant change in pharmacy students' empathy toward patients living with ADRD was observed.