Standardized patients' preferences for pharmacist interactive communication style: A mixed method approach.

Background: Interactive communication approaches may help to shift pharmacy practice toward more patient-centered care. One example of such an approach is the 3 prime questions (3PQs). Patients' preferences for pharmacists' interactive communication styles were not identified in the literature.

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to explore standardized patient (SP) preferences, satisfaction, and perceptions of pharmacists' communication style and changes in pharmacist to standardized patient talk-time ratio.

Design: Mixed methods, before and after evaluation.

Setting: SPs were hired from the University of Alberta's Standardized Patient Program, Canada.

Participants: Twelve SPs and 10 pharmacists.

Intervention: SPs were video recorded interacting with the same pharmacists before and after pharmacist training on the 3PQs. SPs participated in an open-ended interview using stimulated recall on videos of their pharmacist encounters.

Main Outcome Measures: Explore SP preferences, satisfaction, and perceptions of pharmacists' communication style, in addition to changes in pharmacist to standardized patient talk-time ratio before and after the intervention

Results: Generally SPs were satisfied with pharmacists' interactive communication style post training. Qualitative themes varied with SPs' preference for an interactive approach (58%, i.e., Conversation with Equals, Double Check, and Manageable Information) or traditional approach (33%, i.e., Expected Information, Shouldn't the Pharmacist Know, and Feels Uncomfortable) and improvements in item scores varied by type of prescription. Pharmacists' use of the 3PQs increased patient talk time for scenarios with new chronic and acute medication, though pharmacists still dominated the conversation.

Conclusion: Just over half of SPs preferred an interactive communication style, although a third of SPs preferred a communication style that focused on information provision. Patients had more time to talk in some interactive encounters. Pharmacists may need to be aware of patient expectations when using the 3PQs.