Pharmacy Student Knowledge and Perceived Understanding of Social Determinants of Health After an Interprofessional Experience With a Community Health Worker: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Incorporating Community Health Workers (CHW) into interdisciplinary teams can reduce disparities in care and promote health equity. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards reference social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH are financial, social, and environmental conditions that influence a patient’s health outcomes. Therefore, strategies to teach pharmacy students about SDOH and the importance of providing equitable care to patients should be explored. The objective of this study was to assess changes in pharmacy students’ perceived understanding and knowledge of SDOH after a CHW-led activity on an ambulatory care experiential rotation. Ambulatory care clinical pharmacy faculty developed a novel partnership with a CHW and built an interprofessional experience for pharmacy students focused on SDOH. Students completed a pre-, post-, and 1-month post-activity survey assessing their knowledge and perceived understanding of SDOH. Fifty-one students participated in the study over two academic years (2021–2023). After a CHW-led activity, there was an improvement in students’ perceived understanding of the roles of pharmacists and CHW in addressing SDOH and how SDOH impact care. The scores on knowledge assessment questions also increased post activity, although the changes were not statistically significant. Changes in perceived understanding of SDOH persisted at 1 month follow up. This pilot study showed that an interprofessional experience with a CHW improves pharmacy students’ perceived understanding of SDOH, which may better prepare students to provide equitable care to patients in future practice.