A Telehealth Module and Virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examination of Health Literacy in Pharmacy Education

Objective: To implement an online health literacy (HL) module and evaluate its impact through virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on students’ abilities to manage patients with low HL. Methods: Students virtually engaged in several learning activities related to HL, including practicing using HL assessment tools, designing an information booklet suitable for low HL patients, using readability formulas to lower text readability level to ≤ sixth grade, role-playing scenarios related to HL, and undergoing a virtual OSCE. Student performance on course assessments was tested using Spearman's rank-order. Students evaluated their OSCE experience in terms of case content, virtual assessment, and logistics; and effectiveness of the HL module and confidence related to HL. Results: A total of 90 students completed the virtual OSCE; the mean score was 8.8 out of 10 (88%), which correlated with similar course assessments. The average score was 3.46 out of 3.7 for the “gathering information” domain (recognizing risk factors and behaviors, assessing HL and adherence, etc.), and 4.06 out of 4.9 for the “patient management” domain (counseling patients on taking medications, focusing on repeating key messages, offering adherence interventions, etc.). Students responded positively regarding case content and virtual assessment, but less favorably regarding logistics. Feedback on effectiveness of the HL module and confidence in managing patients with low HL was positive. Conclusion: An HL module delivered online was effective in improving student knowledge, abilities, and confidence related to HL. Students achieved high scores in all items in the virtual OSCE, and considered it a measure of communication and clinical skills that is comparable to traditional in-room assessments.