(22) Avatar-Based Immersive Medication Reconciliation Experience Across Distant Campuses of a College of Pharmacy

Objective : To evaluate student learning via a live, avatar-based virtual simulation on skills for collecting patient information, interacting with other healthcare professionals, identifying, and addressing drug-related problems, and developing reasoning skills.

Methods: Second-year traditional and first-year advanced standing Doctor of Pharmacy students, enrolled in the Pharmacy Skills Development IV laboratory course, participated in a medication reconciliation activity, conducted synchronously across distant campuses. Using avatars and voice-changing technology, a trained actor portrayed a patient, pharmacy technician, and nurse within a scenario in which students sought to uncover a patient’s complete medication list, while addressing drug-related problems. The simulation was broadcast via video conference and students asked pertinent questions and provided patient education. The activity culminated with a task to reorganize a simulated pill box for the patient. Student post-activity perception was evaluated via an online survey.

Results: 189 students participated across three campuses and 31 (16.4%) responded to the survey. Overall, students perceived the activity favorably, as 80.0% felt it offered effective practice in collecting information from various sources to compile a medication reconciliation. 78.1% agreed it was a helpful tool to practice interprofessional interactions. Additionally, 77.8% and 90.3% agreed it helped develop skills in recognizing and addressing drug-related problems and using validated tools to identify medications, respectively. 69.4% agreed that the virtual platform was more realistic than in-person simulated patients, played by faculty or residents. Of note, only 56.1% agreed that the synchronous design was beneficial, citing technical difficulties as a hindrance.

Conclusions: A live, immersive avatar-based virtual simulation provides an innovative, engaging tool for developing key communication and patient assessment skills and was perceived favorably. Future iterations will consider providing the activity asynchronously.