Exploring Pharmacy Students’ Perceptions and Comfort Levels with Peer-Conducted Blood Pressure Examinations

AbstractIntroduction:Various methods are used to assess healthcare professional students’ physical exam skills. Hypertension is a common chronic disease that affects nearly half of adults in the United States, therefore measuring blood pressure is a clinical skill often assessed in a healthcare program curriculum.Methods:This study was conducted to gather data and analyze certain characteristics regarding the views of second year pharmacy students having their blood pressure assessed by their classmates in a hypertension skills lab. These views were collected using Qualtrics™, a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey.Results:Eighty-five respondents (~82% reposnse rate) were included in this survey analysis. Majority of the students were between the age of 18-24 years (75%), female (79%), and African American (56%). Most students reported feeling comfortable (82%) having their blood pressure assessed by their peer, with no significant difference when considering racial/ethnic groups, age, gender, or family history (P>0.05).Conclusions:Although there was no statistical significance found amongst the various analyses, these outcomes displayed insight into a subject that may need to be further explored. Since numerous factors can vary between the student and examiner, comfort levels and personal preferences should be of importance.