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Location
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Event Date
3-28-2024
Abstract
Introduction: Patients with diabetes experience significant changes in their life as they live with the disease. These changes can impact their psychosocial wellbeing as well as their day-to-day activities. Pharmacists are involved in many aspects of diabetes care and having increased understanding and empathy for patients can impact how they deliver care. A Living with Diabetes experience was designed for third year pharmacy students in an elective course to help future pharmacists gain a better understanding of the impact diabetes has on a patient’s life. This project’s objective is to assess the impact of this experience on pharmacy students’ attitudes towards patients with diabetes and increase their empathy in caring for them. Methods: The Living with Diabetes Experience requires students to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for at least 3 days. This monitor is connected to an app on their phone that can send alerts from their CGM. The CGMs are donated through a partnership with Dexcom. Students must also keep a detailed food diary, including counting all carbohydrates and calculating insulin doses based on predetermined insulin to carbohydrate ratios. Students receive unexpected hypoglycemic events that they must address in real-time to demonstrate the unanticipated burden or stress these events can cause. Students fill out a pre-experience survey with questions related to their attitudes on what it is like to have diabetes, including the challenges they may face. The same survey is given post-experience. Students also write a one-page post experience reflection paper. Survey and reflection data will be analyzed, and themes identified from the qualitative data to determine impact of the learning activity. IRB application will be submitted this month. Results/ Conclusion: The learning activity is scheduled to occur in February 2024 and results/ conclusions will be available after the activity.
The Impact of a Living with Diabetes Experience on Students' Attitudes and Perceptions
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Introduction: Patients with diabetes experience significant changes in their life as they live with the disease. These changes can impact their psychosocial wellbeing as well as their day-to-day activities. Pharmacists are involved in many aspects of diabetes care and having increased understanding and empathy for patients can impact how they deliver care. A Living with Diabetes experience was designed for third year pharmacy students in an elective course to help future pharmacists gain a better understanding of the impact diabetes has on a patient’s life. This project’s objective is to assess the impact of this experience on pharmacy students’ attitudes towards patients with diabetes and increase their empathy in caring for them. Methods: The Living with Diabetes Experience requires students to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for at least 3 days. This monitor is connected to an app on their phone that can send alerts from their CGM. The CGMs are donated through a partnership with Dexcom. Students must also keep a detailed food diary, including counting all carbohydrates and calculating insulin doses based on predetermined insulin to carbohydrate ratios. Students receive unexpected hypoglycemic events that they must address in real-time to demonstrate the unanticipated burden or stress these events can cause. Students fill out a pre-experience survey with questions related to their attitudes on what it is like to have diabetes, including the challenges they may face. The same survey is given post-experience. Students also write a one-page post experience reflection paper. Survey and reflection data will be analyzed, and themes identified from the qualitative data to determine impact of the learning activity. IRB application will be submitted this month. Results/ Conclusion: The learning activity is scheduled to occur in February 2024 and results/ conclusions will be available after the activity.