Use of e-mail communication to develop relationships between pharmacy students and patients

Objective. To design and implement a course to aid in the professionalization of pharmacy students through communication with patients regarding the human aspects of disease. Design. Individual students were provided one unique patient and assigned weekly topics to discuss with their patient via e- mail. The class met weekly to share and analyze these e- mail conversations and to discuss related topics using active- learning methods. Assessment. An anonymous exit survey, assessment of student assignments, and class discussions revealed that the majority of students communicated regularly with their patient and gained insight into illness from a patient perspective. Additionally, many students reported learning about the value of communication with patients. A final essay demonstrated that most students learned about and employed appropriate mechanisms of patient communication. Conclusion. The electronic patient communication program enabled students to develop communication skills while gaining insight into the human aspects of disease.