The impact of podcasts on knowledge, engagement, and empathy outcomes in pharmacy education

Background: With the increasing integration of educational technology and on-demand media, podcasts have emerged as a flexible and accessible tool for content delivery in pharmacy education. Despite the increased use of podcasts in pharmacy education, their impact on learner knowledge, engagement, and empathy is unknown. Objective: This research seeks to explore the impact of podcasts on learning and assessment outcomes in Pharmacy education. Method: A systematic search was conducted using five databases. Inclusion criteria were experimental studies in pharmacy education reporting outcomes related to knowledge, engagement, and/or empathy. Of the 77 studies screened, nine studies were included in the final analysis and grouped by outcome. Result: Four of five studies that evaluated knowledge showed knowledge improvement, and one study that compared podcasts to traditional lecture showed that podcasts yielded poorer scores. Learners preferred podcasts due to various characteristics such as host tone, podcast format, and guest relatability. Student-created podcasts improved professional growth and collaboration. Podcasts yielded more empathetic survey responses, although no validated tools were used. Conclusion: Podcasts serve as a promising supplementary tool in pharmacy education. While they conditionally improve learner engagement and potentially improve empathy, their efficacy at disseminating knowledge compared to traditional methods remains unestablished.