Karishma Desai and Joanne M. Peters, doctoral students studying with Betty Chewning, professor in the Social and Administrative Sciences Division, received the award for “Best Oral Abstract” for their work titled, “The Power of Patient Questions: A Secret Shopper Study” at the 13th International Conference on Communication in Healthcare 2015 – The Primacy of Healthcare Communication held by the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare (AACH).

Ten finalists were chosen from over 350 abstracts that were accepted for the conference, on various aspects of communication in healthcare. Desai and Peters solidified their recognition following a podium presentation sharing the finding of the study that highlight the importance of patient activation in a community pharmacy setting.

Their research trial documented the value of asking a single open-ended question, “What (else) should I know before taking this product?” at the end of a pharmacy encounter. The International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH) brings together researchers, educators, and applied healthcare professionals from 30 different countries worldwide to share the latest research and teaching methods related to communication in healthcare. The 2015 conference was held October 25-28 in New Orleans, La.