Pharmacy student-led blood pressure clinic as part of a comprehensive approach to teaching blood pressure assessment

Abstract

Background and purpose: Hypertension is highly prevalent and sub-optimally controlled in many patients. Strong evidence supports the role of pharmacists in assessing blood pressure (BP) and managing hypertension; however, there is limited literature on curricular activities to prepare pharmacy graduates for this role.

Educational activity and setting: This study describes the integration of a BP screening clinic at a tertiary-care cardiac centre as part of a second-year pharmacy curriculum and its impact on pharmacy students' perceived ability and confidence in BP measurement and patient education on hypertension.

Findings: We analyzed anonymized course feedback from students attending the BP clinic from 2014 to 2017. The response rate was 96.5% (498/516). Over 90% of students greatly/mostly agreed that participating in the BP screening clinic improved both their ability and confidence in manually measuring BP. Additionally, over 75% greatly/mostly agreed that participating in the clinic improved their ability and confidence in educating patients about hypertension prevention and management. In addition to technical aspects of BP measurement such as landmarking and correct positioning, students reported experiences from the clinic enriched several non-technical skills, including communication, information gathering, public engagement, and advocacy.

Summary: Implementing a BP screening clinic at a tertiary-care healthcare facility as part of a second-year pharmacy curriculum improved students' self-reported ability and confidence in manually measuring BP and educating members of the public.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Clinic; Experiential; Public engagement; Student.