Use of an electronic health record training environment with a longitudinal patient case as a teaching tool in an APPE-readiness course

Background: The integration of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in healthcare has changed how healthcare is performed, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of these systems among pharmacists. The ability to navigate EHRs is crucial for pharmacy students' success in introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs and APPEs). This manuscript describes the development and use of an EHR training environment in an APPE-readiness course.

Educational activity: We developed an APPE-readiness course integrating a comprehensive longitudinal patient case within the Epic EHR training environment. The course was designed for third-year pharmacy students in their final didactic semester, focusing on practical skills and the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (PPCP). Using a fictitious patient with multiple chronic conditions, students engaged in a variety of activities, including data collection, problem assessment, care plan creation, literature and guideline application, and communication using the SBAR technique. The course aimed to transition classroom knowledge into practical skills, assessed individually through application-based exams and quizzes.

Critical analysis of the educational activity: The course required significant initial resource investment but demonstrated benefits in student perceptions of preparedness. Student feedback indicated a desire for more group work and advanced learning options for quicker learners. Adjustments were made in the second course year, including modifications to the patient case and incorporation of resident instructors to help with the EHR training environment. Survey results showed improvements in students' self-assessed skills and confidence in their APPE readiness in both class years.

Conclusions: The EHR-based capstone course effectively increased students' confidence and preparedness for APPEs, highlighting the value of practical, longitudinal case-based learning. Our work supports the integration of EHR training in pharmacy curricula to enhance APPE-readiness. Other institutions can use similar EHR training environment tools in their curricula.