| 1. |
- Duijm, Neeltje P, et al.
(författare)
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A Qualitative Study on Danish Student Pharmacists' Attitudes Towards and Experience of Communication Skills Training.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Pharmacy. - Basel, Switzerland : MDPI AG. - 2226-4787. ; 7:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- As the pharmacy profession evolves, good communication skills are vital for securing the safer and more rational use of medicines. Currently there is a lack of qualitative studies researching European student pharmacists' and their experience with communication skills training (CST). This qualitative study aimed to fill this gap by exploring Danish student pharmacists' attitudes towards, and experiences of, CST. Focus group interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of Danish student pharmacists in 2016. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively. Fifteen students participated in three focus groups. Five categories identified as key aspects were: professional communication vs. normal conversation, motivation to engage in training, how to learn communication skills, experience with CST and universities' role in teaching communication skills. In conclusion, there were both positive and negative attitudes towards CST among the participants. However, they had little experience with CST. Bloom's taxonomy of the affective domain and Kolb's experiential learning model appear to be useful in understanding students' attitudes towards CST. Pharmacy educators can use this study to structure and improve their CST curricula by knowing what influences students' attitudes towards CST.
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| 2. |
- Ljungberg Persson, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Patients' attitudes towards using a question prompt list in community pharmacies
- 2023
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Ingår i: Patient Education and Counseling. - : Elsevier. - 0738-3991 .- 1873-5134. ; 115
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore patients' usage rate and perceived usefulness and benefits of a question prompt list (QPL) when collecting prescribed medication in community pharmacies.Methods: Data were collected in Swedish pharmacies using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with patients. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used, and the outcomes were usage rate, factors impacting on use, and perceived ease of use, usefulness, and benefits of self-reported question-asking and self-perceived medication knowledge. Descriptive statistics and group comparisons were performed, and qualita-tive data were analyzed thematically with the TAM.Results: Out of 145 patients filling out the questionnaire, 72 (50.0%) reported they had used the QPL. Patients with new prescriptions and non-native Swedish speakers used the QPL more often (p = 0.03; p = 0.009, respectively). The QPL was quick to read (86.3%) and easy to understand (91.4%). Forty percent stated that they asked more questions, and self-reported users scored higher on self-perceived medication knowledge. In the interviews (n = 14), the QPL was described as an eye-opener as to what one could ask the pharmacist.Conclusions: Patients were willing to use a QPL in community pharmacies. Practice implications: A QPL in pharmacies might improve patients' engagement medication knowledge, as well as showcase the expertise of pharmacists.
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| 3. |
- Olsson, Erika, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish patients' trust in the bioequivalence of interchangeable generics : What factors are important for low trust?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Pharmacy Practice. - : Centro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmaceuticas (CIPF). - 1885-642X .- 1886-3655. ; 16:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Generic substitution (GS), is a cost-containment strategy meant to contain pharmaceutical expenditure without compromising health objectives. In order to shape GS into a policy that is both efficient and safe it is crucial to understand which factors are most important for patients' trust in GS. Objective: To assess Swedish patients' level of trust in the bioequivalence of cheap and expensive generic medicines, and the association between trust and various factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaires were handed out at 12 community pharmacies in Sweden, selected through stratified sampling, between March and April 2015. The questionnaire included seven socio-demographic questions in addition to 18 items divided into three sections: the 'views on generic medicine'-scale, information on and prior experiences of GS, financial aspects and change of color/name. Odds Ratios (ORs) were estimated applying adjusted logistic regression analyses with trust in the bioequivalence of generic medicines used as outcome variable and various factors as predictors. Results: A total of 719 patients participated (response rate 85.7%). The results show that 70.7% of the respondents' trust that cheap and expensive interchangeable generic medicines are equal. Of the respondents 36.0% considered the change in appearance and 40.8% the change in names to complicate adherence. Lower trust in the bioequivalence of generic medicines were associated with being female (aOR=1.82, 95%CI 1.20:2.75, p<0.01), patients perceiving that changes in product name and appearance make adherence more complicated (aOR=2.18, 95%CI 1.48:3.19, p<0.001), disagreeing in that GS saves money for me (the customer) (aOR=2.68, 95%CI 1.58:4.55, p<0.001) or that GS saves money for society (aOR=3.21, 95%CI 1.46:7.08, p<0.01). Conclusions: Seven out of ten respondents had trust in the bioequivalence of generic medicines, and one in three considered GS to complicate adherence. Four factors were associated with lower trust in GS, i.e. female gender, agreeing that changes in product name and appearance complicates adherence, disagreeing in that GS saves money for me or disagreeing in that GS saves money for the society. Low trust in GS needs to be addressed, not least in the communication between health professionals and patients.
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| 4. |
- Risoy, Aslaug Johanne, et al.
(författare)
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Pharmacists' experience of a diabetes risk-assessment service and analytical quality control in community pharmacies - A focus-group study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 1551-7411 .- 1934-8150. ; 17:7, s. 1259-1266
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Healthcare services such as diabetes risk-assessment are increasingly common in community pharmacies. Knowledge of community pharmacists' experiences of such services could ease the implementation of a larger-scale service. Objectives: To explore Norwegian pharmacists' experience of a diabetes risk-assessment service, including analytical quality control, in a community-pharmacy setting. Methods: Three focus-group interviews were conducted in Norway between August and September 2017. Systematic text condensation was used, an analytic approach well suited for thematic content analysis across interview data. Fourteen pharmacists took part, recruited from a project offering a diabetes risk-assessment service, including measurements of Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), in Norwegian community pharmacies. Results: The pharmacists emphasized the importance of using their knowledge and skills to promote good health. They considered offering this service as being compatible with their role as pharmacists. As communication is an essential part of their work, the pharmacists evaluated their communication skills as being good. Nevertheless, how to communicate the offering of this service was seen as a challenge, for instance recruiting participants and communicating in an understandable and professional way. Inclusion of the whole pharmacy staff as a team was experienced as an important success factor for implementation of a risk-assessment service. Analytical quality control was perceived as being a natural part of their job and a manageable task. Conclusions: Offering a diabetes risk-assessment service is in line with the way a selected group of Norwegian community pharmacists perceived their professional role. However, they were uncomfortable recruiting participants, and expressed the wish for more support from the pharmacy chain. Our results add performance of analytical quality control as part of the ongoing development involving expansion of pharmacists' professional role. Future implementation studies may also benefit from giving both the pharmacy staff and customers sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the new service before measuring effects.
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| 5. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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A review of countries' pharmacist-patient communication legal requirements on prescription medications and alignment with practice : Comparison of Nordic countries.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1551-7411 .- 1934-8150. ; 11:6, s. 784-802
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Pharmacist-patient communication around prescription medications can optimize treatment outcomes. Society's expectations of pharmacist-patient communication around medications can be expressed in legislation, economic incentives, and authority control. In this study, the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden provide the legislative examples and can be used as a platform to discuss how society's expectations, professional visions, and practice are aligning.OBJECTIVE: The overall aim of this study was to describe society's expectations of pharmacist-patient communication around medications as expressed by the state in Nordic legislation, economic incentives and authority control. Additionally, this study describes how the states govern Nordic pharmacists in different pharmacy systems.METHOD: A legal review was performed using online legislative databases. Regulating authorities were contacted to gather supplementary information. Thereafter, a qualitative document analysis was conducted.RESULTS: The Nordic countries regulate staff-patient communication by using broad laws. The legislation's main focus during dispensing is information on the use of medications, but also generic substitution and pricing. Pharmacies should have internal routines for this in place. Pharmacists' obligation to keep a journal on advice given during dispensing is ambiguously regulated. The economic incentives for communication on prescription medication during dispensing are included in the general pharmacy mark-up. Today's authority control focuses on the pharmacy management and appears to primarily evaluate structure indicators of communication, for example, if there is a routine method of counseling available.CONCLUSION: Various countries throughout the world differ in their requirements for pharmacy staff to communicate on the use of medicines during dispensing. The Nordic countries all require such communication, which aligns with professional visions. Regardless of the pharmacy system, the states let the employer and pharmacy professions carry out it in practice with apparently little state involvement, thus showing trust in the profession and employers. However, since Nordic communication studies show deviation from the legislation, there are reasons to reevaluate and discuss the legislation, the economic incentives and the control system.
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| 6. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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'Because of the circumstances, we cannot develop our role' : Norwegian community pharmacists' perceived responsibility in role development.
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0961-7671 .- 2042-7174. ; 23:4, s. 256-265
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The development of more patient-centred care is not always visible in community pharmacies. The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian pharmacists' motivation and perceived responsibility regarding role development and involvement in patient-centred care.METHODS: A semi-structured interview guide was developed. Four focus group interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of 21 community pharmacists and transcribed verbatim. An inductive analysis was performed, supplemented with an agent perspective.KEY FINDINGS: Two main categories and nine subcategories were identified, with the main categories being 'reality vs. vision' and the overall 'agent' category. A gap was found between what the pharmacists said they were doing in their day-to-day work and what they expressed as their ideal tasks in the pharmacy. The pharmacists seem to transfer the need for their role as active medicine experts in patient-centred care to other agents such as authorities and pharmacy chains.CONCLUSIONS: There is a gap between what the Norwegian community pharmacists express as their vision and current practice. The identified agent relationships appear to hamper the pharmacists' perceived ability to be active and take full responsibility in their role development and further implementation of patient-centred care. Adopting a fairly inactive position when it comes to increasing patient-centred care might be a result of a traditional product-focused pharmacy culture.
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| 7. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Factors associated with pharmacy students' attitudes towards learning communication skills - A study among Nordic pharmacy students.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1551-7411 .- 1934-8150. ; 14:3, s. 279-289
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Good communication skills are essential for pharmacy students to help patients with their medicines. Students' attitudes towards communication skills learning will influence their willingness to engage in communication training, and their skills when dealing with patients later on in their professional life.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore Nordic pharmacy students' attitudes to communication skills learning, and the associations between those attitudes and various student characteristics.METHOD AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in 11 Nordic pharmacy schools between April 2015 and January 2016. The overall response rate for the final study population was 77% (367 out of 479 students). Pharmacy students who had fulfilled all mandatory communication training and most of their pharmacy practical experience periods were included. The communication skills attitudes scale was the main outcome. Linear regression models were fitted with the outcome variable and various student characteristics as the predictors, using generalized estimating equations to account for clustering within pharmacy schools.RESULTS: Nordic pharmacy students in general have moderately positive attitudes towards learning communication skills. Positive attitudes towards learning communication skills among pharmacy students were associated with being female (βadjusted 0.42, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.63, p < 0.001), following a newer pharmacy training program (βadjusted 0.81, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.98, p < 0.001), having higher self-rated need for communication skills improvement (βadjusted 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.71, p<0.001) and believing one's communication skills are not the result of personality (βadjusted -0.24, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.04, p=0.017).CONCLUSION: The study provides important information for faculty members responsible for curriculum improvements and teachers to refine their teaching of communication skills. From this, the teaching can be better tailored to suit different students. The students' chances of being able to effectively help patients in the future will be increased by that.
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| 8. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Interprofessional education on complex patients in nursing homes : a focus group study
- 2021
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Ingår i: BMC Medical Education. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1472-6920. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background An ageing population leads up to increasing multi-morbidity and polypharmacy. This demands a comprehensive and interprofessional approach in meeting patients' complex needs. This study describes graduate students' experiences of working practice based in interprofessional teams with complex patients' care needs in nursing homes. Method Students from advanced geriatric nursing, clinical nutrition, dentistry, medicine and pharmacy at the University of Oslo in Norway were assigned to groups to examine and develop a care plan for a nursing home patient during a course. Focus groups were used, 21 graduate students participating in four groups. Data were collected during spring 2018, were inductively analysed according to a thematic analysis method (Systematic Text Condensation). An analytical framework of co-ordination practices was applied to get an in-depth understanding of the data. Results Three themes were identified: 1) Complex patients as learning opportunities- an eye-opener for future interprofessional collaboration 2) A cobweb of relations, and 3) Structural facilitators for new collective knowledge. Graduate university students experienced interprofessional education (IPE) on complex patients in nursing homes as a comprehensive learning arena. Overall, different co-ordination practices for work organization among the students were identified. Conclusions IPE in nursing homes facilitated the students' scope from a fragmented approach of the patients towards a relational and collaborative practice that can improve patient care and strengthen understanding of IPE. The study also demonstrated the need for preparatory teamwork training to gain maximum benefit from the experience. Something that can be organized by the education institutions in the form of a stepwise learning module and as an online pre-training course in interprofessional teamwork. Further, focusing on the need for well thought through processes of the activity by the institutions and the timing the practice component in students' curricula. This could ensure that IPE is experienced more efficient by the students.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Svensberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Making medication communication visible in community pharmacies-pharmacists' experience using a question prompt list in the patient meeting
- 2022
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Ingår i: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. - : Elsevier. - 1551-7411 .- 1934-8150. ; 18:12, s. 4072-4082
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundEven though patient engagement in the pharmacy encounter is low, few studies focus on activating patients. A Question Prompt List (QPL) has been used successfully in other parts of healthcare to encourage patients to raise their questions and concerns. For a QPL to be useful in a pharmacy setting, it first must be considered valuable and be accepted by pharmacists.ObjectiveTo investigate the experience of community pharmacists using a QPL in counseling patients about prescribed medications.MethodsAn explorative, qualitative study was conducted in 2020. A QPL, for use in pharmacy counseling, was developed based on previous literature. Semi-structured interviews were held with pharmacists. A thematic analysis approach was conducted, and the analytical framework Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used.ResultsData were collected in 7 Swedish community pharmacies in interviews with 29 purposefully selected pharmacists. Three themes were identified: Perceived usefulness: the impact of the QPL on patient activation in the encounter, Perceived ease of use of the QPL in pharmacies, and Increasing the perceived usefulness and ease of use of the QPL. The pharmacists perceived patients as more active in the meeting when using the QPL. The list focused the conversation on medications, which the pharmacists appreciated from a professional point of view. They described the QPL as a useful tool that could easily be integrated into the dispensing process and required little training; however, challenges described were, for example, time constraints and stress.ConclusionsPharmacists reported that using a QPL improved patient participation in the encounter. Encouraging counseling on medications was seen as beneficial from a professional point of view. In the early adoption phase, the QPL was easy to implement and did not increase the pharmacists' workload. A QPL appears to be a promising tool for pharmacists to improve the quality of the consultation experience.
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