Improving Health Literacy Through Prescription Medication Education
Abstract
As part of the ETSU Patients as Teachers Program, we participated in microteaching sessions with various community members with chronic health conditions. Of particular interest to us were the medication review visits with Dr. Kelly Karpa where we reviewed our patient’s medication list, the various mechanisms of action for each agent, and potential adverse effects, contraindications, or interferences. The objective of this was aimed at pinpointing commonly prescribed medications among the program’s patient population so that we as students may further explore their mechanisms and provide patient education, mutually benefiting all participants. At the beginning of the year, each patient in the program assessed their understanding of the purpose of each prescription medication they were taking. We hypothesized that after participating in a medication review visit with healthcare professional students and a pharmacologist, the patients would increase in health literacy and report a stronger understanding of their prescribed medications. Overall, thematic analysis revealed a consistent pattern: structured health literacy sessions facilitated by students fostered reciprocal learning. Patients reported enhanced understanding and empowerment regarding their care, while students described strengthened knowledge retention and deeper appreciation for patient-centered education. These findings highlight the value of interpersonal connection within medical education and underscore the potential of the Patients as Teachers Program to advance community health literacy through collaborative learning. Going forward, an implication of these results leads us to pursue focus group scheduling to provide more opportunities for patients and students to collaborate with one another and increase health literacy of the community.
Start Time
15-4-2026 2:30 PM
End Time
15-4-2026 3:30 PM
Room Number
304
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
Grad/Comp Orals
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Kelly Karpa
Improving Health Literacy Through Prescription Medication Education
304
As part of the ETSU Patients as Teachers Program, we participated in microteaching sessions with various community members with chronic health conditions. Of particular interest to us were the medication review visits with Dr. Kelly Karpa where we reviewed our patient’s medication list, the various mechanisms of action for each agent, and potential adverse effects, contraindications, or interferences. The objective of this was aimed at pinpointing commonly prescribed medications among the program’s patient population so that we as students may further explore their mechanisms and provide patient education, mutually benefiting all participants. At the beginning of the year, each patient in the program assessed their understanding of the purpose of each prescription medication they were taking. We hypothesized that after participating in a medication review visit with healthcare professional students and a pharmacologist, the patients would increase in health literacy and report a stronger understanding of their prescribed medications. Overall, thematic analysis revealed a consistent pattern: structured health literacy sessions facilitated by students fostered reciprocal learning. Patients reported enhanced understanding and empowerment regarding their care, while students described strengthened knowledge retention and deeper appreciation for patient-centered education. These findings highlight the value of interpersonal connection within medical education and underscore the potential of the Patients as Teachers Program to advance community health literacy through collaborative learning. Going forward, an implication of these results leads us to pursue focus group scheduling to provide more opportunities for patients and students to collaborate with one another and increase health literacy of the community.
