Background: Community pharmacy teams (CPTs) have an established role in assisting self-medication, contributing to the safe and effective use of non-prescription medicines. Objective: The study aimed to describe CPTs' performance in self-medication consultation, client-reported outcomes, and satisfaction. A secondary purpose was to develop an explanatory model for better understanding clients' satisfaction with this service. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional exploratory study. Data were collected in a purposive sample of pharmacy clients recruited in six community pharmacies in Portugal. CPTs adopted a structured approach to self-medication consultations, encompassing 11 quality criteria (five for case evaluation and six for counselling). An evaluation score, a counselling score and an overall quality score were estimated. Client-reported outcomes and satisfaction were ascertained via a follow-up telephone interview. Besides descriptive statistics, the association with several independent variables on the clients' overall satisfaction was explored, using linear regression. Results: Product-based dispensing was more frequent for lower educated clients. Reported compliance with the criteria by CPTs was overall high (93.95% of maximum compliance), mostly missing the ‘other medication' questioning. Most clients (93%) reported improvement after the consultation. Clients' satisfaction score was 4.70 out of 5. The variables that seem to better explain clients' overall satisfaction are pharmacy loyalty, the evaluation score, and the female gender. Conclusions: Clients' reported outcomes were favourable, as well as satisfaction with the service. Clients' satisfaction appears to be determined by consultation quality (evaluation score), suggesting the advancement of the pharmacists' clinical role. A larger study is warranted to confirm these findings.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the training and standardization methods of multiple simulated patients (SPs) performing a single scenario in a multicenter study. Methods: A prospective quasi-experimental study, using a multicenter approach, evaluated the performance of five different individuals with the same biotype during a simulation session in a high-fidelity environment. The SPs training and standardization process consisted of four steps and six web or face-to-face mediated: Step 1: simulation scenario design and pilot test. Step 2: SPs selection, recruitment and beginning training (Session 1: performance instructions and memorization request.) Session 2: check the SPs’ performances and adjustments). Step 3 and session 3: training role-play and performance's evaluation. Step 4: SPs’ standardization and performances’ evaluation (Sessions 4 and 5: first and second rounds of SPs’ standardization assessment. Session 6: Global training and standardization evaluation. SPs performance consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha and ICC. Results: In the evaluation of training results, the Maastricht Simulated Patient Assessment dimensions of SPs performances “It seems authentic”, “Can be a real patient” and “Answered questions naturally”, presented “moderate or complete agreement” of all evaluators. The dimensions “Seems to retain information unnecessarily”, “Remains in his/her role all the time”, “Challenges/tests the student”, and “Simulates physical complaints in an unrealistic way” presented “moderate or complete disagreement” in all evaluations. The SPs “Appearance fits the role” showed “moderate or complete agreement” in most evaluations. In the second round of evaluations, the SPs had better performance than the first ones. This could indicate the training process's had good influence on SPs performances. The Cronbach's alpha in the second assessment was better than the first (varied from 0.699 to 0.978). The same improvement occurred in the second round of intraclass correlation coefficient that was between 0.424 and 0.978. The SPs were satisfied with the training method and standardization process. They could perceive improvement on their role-play authenticity. Conclusions: The SPs training and standardization process revealed good SPs reliability and simulation reproducibility, demonstrating to be a feasible method for SPs standardization in multicenter studies. The Maastricht Simulated Patient Assessment was regarded as missing the assessment of the information consistency between the simulation script and the SPs provision.

Abstract Objective: To characterize the inclusion of the teaching of communication skills in the curriculum of Pharmacy Schools of Federal Institutions of Higher Education. Methods: An exploratory study of documental analysis of curriculum of Pharmacy Schools was carried out. A convenience sample was selected from undergraduate pharmacy courses of Federal Institutions of Higher Education (IFES). The variables collected were related to the identification of the course, its nature (elective or mandatory), workload, semester, and program content. Results: Among the 49 undergraduate pharmacy courses of IFES, 35 (71.4%) had their curriculum available online. The teaching of communication in health was identified in 26 (74.3%) curriculum. In this study, three courses (7.2%) specifically aimed at teaching communication skills, while 39 (92.9%) had content related to this subject. Most courses (22; 52.4%) belonged to the field of Social, Behavioral, and Administrative Sciences. As for the course period, there was a concentration in the third (19%) and fourth (28.6%) years. The main content present in the curriculum was related to the principles and techniques of health communication (42.8%). Conclusions: Data obtained enabled the identification of gaps in the curricula of undergraduate courses in pharmacy concerning the inclusion of the teaching of communication skills. These results can be used to reflect the current models adopted in Brazil for the teaching of this skills, especially after the recent publication of the new curricular guidelines for undergraduate pharmacy courses.

Objetivo: rever, de forma sistemática os estudos que investigaram a comunicação entre pacientes e profissionais de saúde através da aplicação da metodologia RIAS. Métodos: foram utilizados como expressão-chave Roter Interaction Analysis System e os recursos bibliográficos de: Academic Search Complete, Current Contents, ISI Proceedings, PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Web of Science, RCAAP, Solo e o site oficial do RIAS. Período de seleção: 2006 a 2011. Os estudos foram selecionados por análise dicotômica multicritério e organizados segundo os critérios PRISMA. Resultados: identificação de 1.262 artigos (455 não repetidos). Foram selecionados para análise 34 artigos, distribuídos pelas seguintes profissões de saúde: médicos de medicina geral e familiar (14), pediatras (5), enfermeiros (4), geneticistas (3), prestadores de cuidados a pacientes com Aids (2), oncologistas (2), cirurgiões (2), anestesistas (1) e especialistas de planejamento familiar (1). O RIAS é escassamente utilizado e divulgado no âmbito dos cuidados de saúde nos países de língua portuguesa. Discussão: os principais temas estudados incluíram a influência do cansaço, ansiedade e esgotamento profissional na comunicação e o impacto das ações específicas de formação no exercício profissional. A revisão permitiu identificar as principais forças e fraquezas na comunicação verbal, em díade e síncrona na prestação de cuidados de saúde. Conclusão: a investigação científica da comunicação entre profissionais de saúde e pacientes por meio do RIAS tem produzido resultados concretos. É esperada uma melhoria dos resultados em saúde decorrente da aplicação do RIAS.

Objective: Systematic review of studies that investigate the communication between patients and health professionals with the application of the RIAS methodology. Methods: Keyword Roter Interaction Analysis System was searched in the following bibliographic resources: Academic Search Complete, Current Contents, ISI Proceedings, PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Web of Science, RCAAP, Solo and the official RIAS site. Selection period: 2006 to 2011. Studies were selected using multicriteria dichotomous analysis and organized according to PRISMA. Results: Identification of 1,262 articles (455 unrepeated). 34 articles were selected for analysis, distributed by the following health professions: family medicine and general practitioners (14), pediatricians (5), nurses (4), geneticists (3), carers of patients with AIDS (2), oncologists (2), surgeons (2), anesthetists (1) and family planning specialists (1). The RIAS is scarcely used and publicized within the scope of healthcare in Portuguese speaking countries. Discussion: Main themes studied include the influence of tiredness, anxiety and professional burnout on communication and the impact of specific training actions on professional activities. The review enabled the identification of the main strengths and weaknesses of synchronous and dyadic verbal communication within the provision of healthcare. Conclusion: Scientific investigation of the communication between health professionals and patients using RIAS has produced concrete results. An improvement is expected in health outcomes through the application of the RIAS.