Description and Evaluation of a Pharmacy Graduate Health Services Research Methods Course

TL;DR

This paper describes and evaluates a graduate-level health services research methods course at a pharmacy school, highlighting its structure and positive student feedback.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed evaluation of a novel pharmacy graduate course on health services research methods.

Findings

The course uses round-table discussions and assessments like essays and proposals to teach research methods.

Student feedback was largely positive with few suggestions for improvement.

Twenty-seven students completed the course over five years.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course offered at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. This three-credit, round-table discussion-style course introduces students to fundamental concepts in healthcare study design and teaches them how to design and critique example studies for a variety of commonly encountered study designs. The course is assessed through essay-style examinations, development of a research proposal, and low-stakes weekly assignments. Twenty-seven students have completed the course in the past five years. Feedback from student course surveys was almost unanimously positive, with few meaningful suggestions for improvement. The description and evaluation of a graduate-level Health Services Research Methods course at one institution indicates that students had a largely favorable experience with the course. Considerations for future revisions to the course are discussed alongside other lessons learned.