Luwen Shi

Using real‐world data to evaluate the association of incretin‐based therapies with risk of acute pancreatitis: a meta‐analysis of 1 324 515 patients from observational studies

To investigate the real‐world incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) associated with incretin‐based therapy (IBT).

The use of microblog-based case studies in a pharmacotherapy introduction class in China

BackgroundMicroblog is a Web 2.0 technology that provides an online social networking platform for communicating and sharing information among web users. Pharmacy educators have previously used microblog to promote active engagement of students. However, there is very little research to demonstrate how to use microblogging effectively to enhance pedagogy in a blended or face-to-face classroom environment. We used the most popular microblog website in China to create a “space” within the classroom to evaluate an interactive microblogging forum for the integration of pharmacotherapy case studies. This study is aimed to determine students’ attitudes toward microblog-based case studies (MBC) in a pharmacotherapy class.MethodsWe created a group on Sina Weibo, the most popular microblog website in China, to explore the possibilities of using microblog-based case discussions in pharmacy education to promote and motivate student learning. The class teaching activities began in November 2011; individual group assignments to a single case study were administered to 21 groups with a total of 126 participating pharmacy students. Each group was required to share a discussion care plan on the microblogging platform. Individual students were expected to participate in an online discussion related to at least two other group cases by posting their comments on the microblog platform. All postings were tracked and analyzed, and then a post MBC survey was administered anonymously to determine students’ opinions towards MBC.ResultsA total of 126 students posted 592 messages and 112 students (89%) completed the survey. More than 80% of students agreed that MBC improved communication; nearly 70% agreed that MBC increased the amount of interaction, and over 50% found value in reading other students’ messages. However, 25% students believed the collaborative learning was not effective and 22% indicated the quality of interaction was low.ConclusionsMBC appears to be well-accepted learning method to students in this study. Educators who wish to use MBC for pharmacy courses should balance the potential advantages, such as improving communication and the amount of interaction, with potential disadvantages, such as inefficient collaborative learning and the low quality of interaction.

Effect of critical care pharmacist's intervention on medication errors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Pharmacists are integral members of the multidisciplinary team for critically ill patients. Multiple nonrandomized controlled studies have evaluated the outcomes of pharmacist interventions in the intensive care unit (ICU). This systematic review focuses on controlled clinical trials evaluating the effect of pharmacist intervention on medication errors (MEs) in ICU settings. Two independent reviewers searched Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases. The inclusion criteria were nonrandomized controlled studies that evaluated the effect of pharmacist services vs no intervention on ME rates in ICU settings. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results suggest that pharmacist intervention has no significant contribution to reducing general MEs, although pharmacist intervention may significantly reduce preventable adverse drug events and prescribing errors. This meta-analysis highlights the need for high-quality studies to examine the effect of the critical care pharmacist.

Development and Evaluation of the Application-Based Case Study Program

Background: Health educators have developed mobile learning activities to improve teaching and learning. Aims: To evaluate a mobile application-based case study (ABCS) assignment and to determine the attitudes of pharmacy students. Methods: We designed an application (APP) to explore the learning implications of ABCS in advancing therapeutic decision making skills. Students were asked to work on case studies by the APP and then surveys were conducted to determine students’ attitude toward ABCS. Results: The survey results showed that 78.5% agreed the APP was well designed, 65.6% agreed that communication with the instructor was convenient by the APP, and 86.1% agreed that ABCS was valuable to their learning. Conclusions: The majority of students liked ABCS for convenience and promoting interaction with the instructor, some disliked it due to small screen and technical feasibility. Instructors planning to use ABCS in their course should balance its advantages with its disadvantages.