Any questions: part two

Last month, CPPE shared explored why shared decision making is important for pharmacy technicians in patient-facing roles. In this interview, CPPE’s Jo Nevinson (education supervisor and member of the learning development team) and Annie Sellers (senior learning development pharmacist) explain more about the programme

What does CPPE’s Shared decision making programme consist of?

Annie Sellers (AS): There is a six-unit e-course and two online workshops. Learners work through units one to four before the first workshop, and then complete units five and six before attending the second. We’ve created it this way so that you can spend time working through the background information in the e-course before applying it in a safe space during the workshops.  

Joanne Nevinson (JN): Each unit in the e-course consists of three hours of learning. It is a self-directed course, which means you can work at a pace that suits you. The time you invest in completing the course will be invaluable to improving outcomes for the people you consult with about medicines and health.

What will I learn about while working through the e-course? 

AS: In the first four modules, we focus on what shared decision making is and introduce a framework for developing your shared decision making skills. We observe a consultation where we see shared decision making in action and break it down into sections. Learning in this way gives you the opportunity to consider how you would approach each element of the consultation. In the final two units of the course, we increase the complexity of the scenarios that we explore.  

JN: You will learn why shared decision making is an important skill to have to improve health outcomes in your patient-facing role, and about the tools and models that will enable you to embed shared decision making into your practice. You will be supported to develop your fundamental skills to determine what is important for the patient and establish a shared agenda. You will learn how to approach complex situations and adapt your technique to suit the different needs of people.

Do I have to complete the e-course?

AS: The e-course is the learning in this programme. Without working through the e-course, it’s challenging to truly gain from the online workshops – we’d be asking you to apply knowledge you’ve not yet gained. Feedback from people who have completed this programme shows that those who had completed the e-course rated the programme more highly. This supports my view that you’re always going to get more out of the time you invest if you fully engage with the learning materials.  

JN: The e-course is a key part of the shared decision making programme, and to complete it fully, it will be essential to complete the e-course element. If you are in, or if you aspire to be in a patient-facing role, this course will enable you to make a real difference to your patients and to your own career. 

How can I apply what I learn from the e-course to my practice?

JN: The e-course includes activities that encourage you to reflect on how the learning will apply to your own role when consulting with people about medicines and their health. The techniques and skills you learn will be applicable to every consultation you have, and will help you to empower people to make positive shifts in their own health. 

AS: You can apply the e-course in so many ways! One of the challenges with online learning is that you don’t necessarily have a space where you can test your new knowledge and skills in a low-stake environment. This programme allows you to gain knowledge during the e-course, reflect on your current practice, then have a go in the online workshops, where there are no consequences if it doesn’t go perfectly. To fully answer this question, you’ll need to book on to the programme!