Advancing Pharmacy Education and Workforce Development Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Report of the 2020-2021 AACP Academic Affairs Committee

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020-2021 Academic Affairs Committee was charged to (1) Read all six reports from the 2019-20 AACP standing committees to identify elements of these reports that are relevant to your committee's work this year; (2) Determine what changes made in colleges and schools of pharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic should be continued to advance pharmacy education; (3) Develop a realistic model for colleges and schools of pharmacy to share resources to meet the curricular needs of member schools; (4) Create strategies by which colleges and schools of pharmacy can meet current and future workforce development needs particularly in light of the changes in healthcare delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; (5) Identify salient activities for the Center To Accelerate Pharmacy Practice Transformation and Academic Innovation (CTAP) for consideration by the AACP Strategic Planning Committee and AACP staff. This report provides an overview of changes made in schools and colleges of pharmacy implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that may be continued to advance pharmacy education; a realistic model for colleges and schools of pharmacy to share resources to meet the curricular needs of member schools; and strategies by which schools and colleges of pharmacy can meet current and future workforce development needs, particularly in light of the changes in healthcare delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee is proposing one policy statement for consideration by the 2021 AACP House of Delegates, four suggestions for consideration by schools and colleges of pharmacy (including two endorsements for suggestions from the 2020-21 Argus Commission), and one recommendation for consideration by AACP for CTAP to implement and oversee.

Adapting Leadership Styles to Reflect Generational Differences in the Academy

The topic of adapting one's leadership style is controversial and can generate great debate. When one considers adapting one's leadership style, the question of authenticity often bubbles to the surface. This is even more compelling in the context of generational differences in our society and workforce. How can faculty members be effective if they refuse to adapt their leadership style to students' learning styles and generational characteristics? Leadership development is an ongoing focus for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) to prepare faculty for roles as future leaders in higher education while a major redistribution of generations is occurring within the workforce. These generations are molded by many factors, including the economy, significant events, technology, and education. As experienced leaders, we affirm that one's leadership styles must be honed over time and adapted to reflect generational differences in academic pharmacy among colleagues, students, alumni, and stakeholders, including patients. Current and future leaders need further education and development so that their awareness of generational characteristics prepares them to adapt their leadership styles to more effectively engage and lead people of any generation.

A reflective teaching challenge to motivate educational innovation

OBJECTIVE

To describe a teaching challenge intended to increase faculty use of evidence-based and student-centered instructional strategies in the demanding school of pharmacy context with technology-savvy students.

DESIGN

A teaching challenge was created that required faculty members to incorporate a "new-to-you" innovative teaching method in a class, course, or experiential activity. The method was linked to at least 1 of 7 evidence-based principles for effective teaching. Faculty members were exposed to colleagues' teaching strategies via brief voluntary presentations at department meetings.

ASSESSMENT

A post-challenge survey provided assessment data about the challenge. Responses to a baseline survey provided additional information about what faculty members were already doing (52% response rate). Eighty-one percent of faculty respondents completed the challenge. A wide array of new strategies (13 categories such as flipped classrooms and social media) was implemented and 75% included the use of technology. Nearly all respondents (96%) thought that participation in the challenge was worth the effort and planned to participate again the following year. All faculty members intended to continue using their new strategy and 56% planned additional modifications with future implementations. The challenge demonstrated how multiple goals of curricular improvement, faculty development, and student-centered instruction could be achieved together.

CONCLUSION

The teaching challenge motivated most of the faculty members to try something new to them. Links between evidence-based principles and day-to-day activities were strengthened. The new-to-you design placed the challenge within reach of faculty members regardless of their background, subject, or experience.

Follow-up assessment of a faculty peer observation and evaluation program

OBJECTIVE

To assess a previously described peer observation and evaluation program 2 years after implementation.

METHODS

An pre-implementation survey assessed faculty needs and attitudes related to peer evaluation. Two years after implementation, the survey was repeated and additional questions asked regarding adherence to peer observation and evaluation policies and procedures, feedback received, and impact on teaching.

RESULTS

Faculty attitudes towards peer evaluation stayed the same or improved post-implementation. Adherence to the initial 3 steps of the process was high (100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively); however, step 4, which required a final discussion after student assessments were finished, was completed by only 47% of the respondents. All faculty members reported receiving a balance of positive and constructive feedback; 78% agreed that peer observation and evaluation gave them concrete suggestions for improving their teaching; and 89% felt that the benefits of peer observation and evaluation outweighed the effort of participating.

CONCLUSIONS

Faculty members adhered to the policies and procedures of peer observation and evaluation and found peer feedback was beneficial.

School-wide clinical intervention system to document pharmacy students' impact on patient care

OBJECTIVES

To implement and evaluate a school wide, Web-based clinical intervention system to document types and impact of pharmacy students' clinical activities during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).

METHODS

A clinical intervention form was developed by pharmacy practice faculty consensus and uploaded to a secure Web site. Prior to APPEs, all pharmacy students were trained on the purpose and use of the system as well as strategies to document interventions appropriately.

RESULTS

Over the 3-year period of data collection, 15,393 interventions were documented. Most common intervention types included dosage adjustments, education of patients and providers, and optimization of therapeutic regimens. The majority of the interventions were accepted by the medical team and resulted in positive clinical and economic outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our school-wide system allowed students and faculty members to document clinical activities. Reporting can serve a number of purposes, including incorporation into student portfolios and faculty merit and promotion dossiers, and demonstration of the positive impact on patient care.

Development of a peer teaching-assessment program and a peer observation and evaluation tool

OBJECTIVES

To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool.

METHODS

A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated.

RESULTS

ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool.

CONCLUSION

Our peer assessment program for large classroom teaching, which includes a valid and reliable evaluation tool, is comprehensive, feasible, and can be adopted by other schools of pharmacy.

Intraoperative use of dermatomal somatosensory-evoked potentials in lumbar stenosis surgery

This report concerns the use of dermatomal somatosensory-evoked potentials (DSEPs) for intraoperative monitoring in the surgical management of a group of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Thirty patients with lumbar spinal stenosis underwent preoperative evaluation by DSEPs by use of electrical stimulation of the skin corresponding to the L4, L5, and S1 dermatomes. The specific dermatome to be monitored intraoperatively was selected by correlating those data with physical and radiographic findings and, in certain cases, the results of selective nerve root blocks. Intraoperative baseline (predecompression) DSEP values were obtained after positioning the patient on the operative frame. Monitoring was performed during surgery and post-decompression values were obtained after neural decompression. For six cases of unilateral nerve root decompression, an average 9-msec decrease in latency was noted on the operated side and a 3-msec decrease on the nonoperated side. For 24 cases of bilateral decompression, an average 8-9-msec decrease in latency was noted bilaterally. This method has been found helpful in assessing the adequacy of neural decompression intraoperatively.