Communication Training and Assessment Using Webcams

Mary F Powers and David R Bright

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Background: Communication training is a necessary and valuable component of the education of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Video recording students during communication exercises provides a basis for providing feedback that allows the students to improve their skills.

Objective: To describe how webcams and notebook computers were used as an alternative method for recording students during communication exercises in a professional practice development laboratory in a PharmD program.

Methods: P-2 pharmacy students participated weekly in 3-hour laboratory sessions in a professional practice development course and engaged in interviewing and counseling activities. This article describes the transition from VHS camcorders to webcams. Surveys were distributed to 107 students, 8 teaching assistants, and the laboratory instructor. Student perspectives, teaching assistant perspectives, and faculty perspectives for the VHS method and webcam method were evaluated and compared.

Results: The majority (75%) of teaching assistants reported a perceived time savings with the webcams, and all teaching assistants and faculty perceived a benefit in providing the students with a digital recording for immediate feedback as compared with a 2-week delay in distributing VHS recordings of patient counseling sessions. More students reported having access to a computer capable of playing the digital video recording as compared with access to a VHS player (96.1% vs 39.8%; p < 0.001). Furthermore, 61.2% of students reported watching the recorded counseling session outside of class.

CONCLUSIONS: Using webcams for recording pharmacy communication exercises in a pharmacy practice laboratory was demonstrated to provide a useful means for self-assessment and constructive feedback. Additionally, the technique may be useful in other laboratory courses for PharmD students.

J Pharm Technol 2010;26:187-92