Student pharmacist counseling performance after hands-on continuous glucose monitoring education: A multi-institutional pragmatic randomized study.

Objective: To assess the impact of wearing a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device on student pharmacist counseling ability (primary), knowledge, confidence, and empathy (secondary).

Methods: Students from two institutions were randomized to wear a CGM device (intervention) vs not (control). All received CGM education via lecture and live demonstration. Intervention group students were provided a CGM device. After two weeks, all students completed a standardized patient (SP) encounter regarding CGM prescription counseling. Pre-post CGM-related knowledge, confidence, and empathy were assessed. Analysis of variance was used to compare between-group counseling score difference, and analysis of covariance was used to compare changes in pre-post knowledge, confidence, and empathy scores. Analyses were performed using Stata/BE17.0.

Results: Of 86 students enrolled, 63 consented and completed surveys (32 intervention, 31 control). The intervention group demonstrated higher average SP counseling score vs control (82.4 % vs 77.7 %, p = .046). The intervention group had greater change in confidence vs control from pre to post survey (+ 2.3 vs + 1.7, p = 0.03, range 1-5). No between-group differences were observed in knowledge or empathy.

Conclusion: The opportunity to wear a CGM device resulted in higher performance on CGM counseling and greater rise in CGM-related confidence. This study supports the use of resources to provide hands-on CGM training.

Practice implications: Hands-on education about new diabetes technology can help students prepare to care for and counsel patients.