Integration of Teaching of Digital Health-Driven Medical Devices in Pharmacy Education.

Abstract

As medical devices become integral to modern healthcare, it is essential to prepare future pharmacists to counsel patients on device use and emerging therapeutic technologies. This study evaluates the impact of hands-on medical device training on pharmacy students at the University of Southern California (USC) Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, focusing on the level of comfort in counseling patients and retention of device-related information. Utilizing an active learning framework, this study provides insights into how experiential learning methods using medical devices enhance pharmacy students' readiness for clinical practice. The results demonstrated significant improvement in levels of student comfort with counseling and information retention. The implementation of a hands-on training module has the potential to be adapted and applied to other courses or programs. The findings highlight the importance of integrating practical training within the pharmacy curriculum to better prepare graduates for effective patient education and support.