Development of a practical examination utilizing standardized participantsfor disease state management credentialing

Pharmacists are developing practices in which they take responsibility for managing patients' disease states. A mechanism to assess problem solving an d patient communication skills for the purpose of credentialing is needed. Drawing from the experience of medical education, utilizing standardized pa rticipants is an ideal method for such assessment. The University of Arkans as has developed four practical examinations for credentialing pharmacists in disease state management (DSM). These examinations utilize actors traine d to portray patients or physicians in a variety of scenarios pertinent to a pharmacist's DSM practice. The pharmacist is evaluated on his/her ability to assess a clinical situation, develop a solution, and communicate a resp onse. To date, 114 pharmacists have been tested in anticoagulation, asthma, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia with an overall pass rate of 89.5 perc ent. Standardized patient use may prove to be the most effective method of evaluating pharmacists' practical skills for the purpose of DSM credentiali ng.