Reinforcing Immunology Concepts With Student Pharmacists Through a Point-of-Care Testing Lab

IF 3.5 4区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education Pub Date : 2025-06-25 DOI:10.1016/j.ajpe.2025.101442

Sarah P. Collier, Sarah F. Uroza

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

In US-based doctoral pharmacy education, students receive immunology instruction; however, advanced cellular and molecular concepts are often abstract and pose a challenge for many. Therefore, a first-year laboratory experience was designed for students to observe antibodies in action and connect this activity to patient care.

Methods

Participants were enrolled in a first-year Microbiology and Immunology and an Integrated Sciences Lab course. One week after a didactic introduction, urine pregnancy tests were used in the lab to reinforce immunology concepts. Changes in participant knowledge, results interpretation and related confidence, and ability to generate patient-friendly communication were measured. Analysis was generated using GraphPad Prism and Flesch-Kincaid readability was calculated.

Results

Participants (N = 88) completed the lab in the fall of 2021 and 2022. Knowledge-related item performance improved by 20.4% after the lab and was sustained on the longitudinal assessment. Reported confidence in results interpretation increased to over 90%. Participant-synthesized responses explaining the science behind point-of-care (POC) tests averaged an eighth-grade reading level. Finally, student evaluation highlights the value of integrating pharmacy practice skills and foundational science concepts.

Conclusion

Through an active learning experience, participants were introduced to POC testing and explained the science behind patient results. Although this lab is limited by evaluation at a single site, POC testing is readily adaptable to other foundational sciences and offers a low-cost approach to actively engage with “invisible science” concepts in a meaningful way.

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通过护理点测试实验室加强学生药剂师的免疫学概念。

目的：在美国药学博士教育中，学生接受免疫学指导；然而，先进的细胞和分子概念往往是抽象的，并提出了许多挑战。因此，设计了第一年的实验室体验，让学生观察抗体的作用，并将此活动与患者护理联系起来。方法：参与者参加了一年级的微生物学和免疫学以及综合科学实验室课程。在教学介绍一周后，在实验室中使用尿液妊娠试验来强化免疫学概念。测量参与者知识、结果解释和相关信心的变化，以及产生患者友好沟通的能力。在GraphPad Prism中进行分析，并计算Flesch-Kincaid可读性。结果：参与者（N=88）在2021年和2022年秋季完成了实验。实验结束后，与知识相关的项目绩效提高了20.4%，并在纵向评估中保持不变。报告结果解释的信心增长到90%以上。参与者解释即时护理（POC）测试背后的科学的综合回答平均为8年级的阅读水平。最后，学生评价强调了将药学实践技能与基础科学概念相结合的价值。结论：通过积极的学习体验，参与者被介绍到POC测试，并解释了患者结果背后的科学。虽然该实验室受到单一地点评估的限制，但POC测试很容易适用于其他基础科学，并提供了一种低成本的方法，以有意义的方式积极参与“无形科学”概念。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 医学-学科教育

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

15.20%

发文量

114

期刊介绍： The Journal accepts unsolicited manuscripts that have not been published and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The Journal only considers material related to pharmaceutical education for publication. Authors must prepare manuscripts to conform to the Journal style (Author Instructions). All manuscripts are subject to peer review and approval by the editor prior to acceptance for publication. Reviewers are assigned by the editor with the advice of the editorial board as needed. Manuscripts are submitted and processed online (Submit a Manuscript) using Editorial Manager, an online manuscript tracking system that facilitates communication between the editorial office, editor, associate editors, reviewers, and authors. After a manuscript is accepted, it is scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of the Journal. All manuscripts are formatted and copyedited, and returned to the author for review and approval of the changes. Approximately 2 weeks prior to publication, the author receives an electronic proof of the article for final review and approval. Authors are not assessed page charges for publication.