Abstract:

Pharmacy is a five-year university degree that includes a broad spectrum of subjects. However, these subjects are often considered by students as isolated parts of the degree that include contents without any relationship among them. In order to promote the integration of knowledge, an innovative teaching project (REDICE16-1461) has been developed. The project consisted in creating a clinical case that could be considered from different points of view and could be applied in different subjects as a transversal tool. The aim of the project was to promote growing and complementary knowledge by using a clinical case. The case was focused in smoking habit and the final goal was to make the students conscious of the smoking consequences on health.

In this context, the second year subject “Physiology and Pathophysiology II” (PP-II) used this transversal clinical case with the aim to promote the integration of the knowledge acquired by the student, both within the same subject and also from previous subjects. In addition, the application of the clinical case aimed to develop skills such as the ability to interpret clinical data and scientific studies, to transmit information, to encourage teamwork and to promote health.

The clinical case was focused in a girl who begun smoking at a very early age thus suffering several consequences throughout her life. The teachers of PP-II adapted the story to include the pathophysiology caused by the components of tobacco and defined activities related to organic systems treated in previous or in the own subject. The students, organized in pairs, had to deliver a written report. A feedback session was then performed in the classroom. The score obtained from the report constituted a 15% of the global mark. In addition, the final exam included some questions related to it. Students were inquired to answer a survey about the activity and its impact on their awareness about smoking consequences on health.

The activity has been developed in the year 2016-17, 312 students participated and 160 reports were evaluated. The scores obtained from the report had a mean value of 7.3 +/- 0.79 (mean +/-standard deviation of the mean, SDM). More than 60% of students attended to the classroom for the feedback session and were highly participative. However, when considering the marks obtained in the questions included in the final exam concerning the activities of the clinical case, the mean value was 5.4 +/- 2.4, suggesting that either the contents were not properly achieved or that they did not study enough the activity contents for the exam.

The activity survey provided very positive results. Almost 50% of students thought that the activity helped them to integrate knowledges. About 60% considered it very or quite useful in their learning, and almost 70% students believed that it was very or quite interesting. Most students declared to be very (>20%) or quite (>40%) satisfied with the experience. Finally, more than 70% students admitted being more aware about the detrimental effects of smoking.

From these results, it can be concluded that activities that allow applying knowledges of several subjects are well considered for the students and provide an integrative view of the overall contents included in the degree of Pharmacy. Moreover, the health impact of smoking habit awareness in the students may be helpful for their activities in the future.

Keywords:

Clinical cases, integrative knowledge, pathophysiology.