Educational Interventions to Improve Student Pharmacists’ Empathy and Attitudes Toward Older Adults or Aging: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES: Ageism remains a pervasive barrier to delivering high-quality health care to older adults. The objective of this scoping review is to describe studies on educational interventions aimed at improving the empathy and attitudes of student pharmacists toward aging and older adults. FINDINGS: Of the 723 studies retrieved, 9 studies were eligible for inclusion. Studies were conducted in the United States (5), Malaysia (1), Brazil (1), Australia (1), and Singapore (1). Most studies (n = 8) used a single-group pre/post-test design, whereas 1 study employed a randomized, parallel-group, open-label design. Six studies employed direct interventions (ie, simulation-based, direct interaction with older adults, or technology-based), and 3 studies employed curriculum-based interventions (ie, geriatrics elective or Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience). Seven studies utilized validated tools to measure empathy and attitudes, including the Geriatric Attitude Scale (n = 3), the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Students (n = 3), and the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale (n = 3). The 8 studies that used a pre/post-test design reported improvements in empathy or attitudes on at least 1 tool. The randomized study assessing an aging simulation suit found no significant differences between the intervention and control groups immediately following the intervention or at 12 weeks. SUMMARY: Although studies using quasi-experimental designs reported that interventions improved student pharmacists' empathy or attitudes toward aging or older adults, the randomized study did not support these findings. This review highlights the need for more rigorous research to evaluate interventions to improve empathy and attitudes in student pharmacists.