Evaluation of the Utility of Online Objective Structured Clinical Examination Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Arekat, Mona R.; Shehata, Mohamed Hany; Salem, Abdel Halim; Al-Ansari, Ahmed; Kumar, Archana Prabu; Alsenbesy, Mohamed; Alshenawi, Hamdi; El-Agroudy, Amgad; Husni, Mariwan; Rizk, Diaa E. E.; Elamin, Abdelaziz; Salah, Afif Ben; Atwa, Hani

doi:10.2147/amep.s357229

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Many institutions carefully curated and intentionally modified OSCE stations to ensure suitability for the virtual environment. However, the virtual format precluded effective assessment of physical examinations because of the lack of physical interactions between students and simulated patients 46,49,52 . Some institutions attempted to address this gap by incorporating audio/video clips and requiring students to interpret abnormal findings 62 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, this could be achieved by including one or more virtual stations in an otherwise in-person OSCE circuit, focussing on assessing competencies such as data interpretation and prescribing skills. 46,47,59 It is important for assessment designers to promote fairness and inclusivity by making sure all candidates have appropriate devices compatible for vOSCE, and if necessary, by providing access to a device for students. Furthermore, it will be important to continuously review and evaluate emerging technological solutions to help maximise assessment integrity through appropriate surveillance and sequestration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, it will be important to continuously review and evaluate emerging technological solutions to help maximise assessment integrity through appropriate surveillance and sequestration. 46,47,59 Given that both students and examiners commented on the utility of vOSCE in preparing students for an anticipated greater use of telehealth in the future, 50,52,55,56,59,60 this may also be an area that can be prioritised in future assessment approaches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the virtual format precluded effective assessment of physical examinations because of the lack of physical interactions between students and simulated patients. 46,49,52 Some institutions attempted to address this gap by incorporating audio/video clips and requiring students to interpret abnormal findings. 62 Despite students fluently describing the process of the physical examination and explaining the findings, assessors were concerned that this knowledge did not translate into competence.…”

Section: Understanding Scope Of Use As An Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…47 T A B L E 4 (Continued) For other competencies, such as data interpretation, prescribing skills and communication skills, the virtual format was considered a suitable alternative. 46,47,59 Some students felt the set up was very similar to in-person consultations, and they were able to communicate to standardised patients effectively. 47,62 Others struggled to develop rapport because of the reduction in non-verbal communication cues over the screen.…”

Section: Understanding Scope Of Use As An Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Implementation of virtual OSCE in health professions education: A systematic review

et al. 2023

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IntroductionThe Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been widely used in health professions education since the 1970s. The global disruption caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic restricted in‐person assessments and medical educators globally sought alternative means to assess and certify students and trainees to meet the acute demand for health‐care workers. One such solution was through virtual OSCE (vOSCE), which modified traditional in‐person OSCE using videoconference platforms. This meta‐ethnography sought to synthesise qualitative literature on candidates' and assessors' experiences of vOSCE to evaluate whether it may have a role in future assessment practices.MethodsIn June 2022, we systematically searched PsycINFO, Medline and ERIC for peer‐reviewed qualitative and mixed‐methods articles that described candidates' and assessors' experiences of virtual OSCE in health professions education. Of 1069 articles identified, 17 were synthesised using meta‐ethnography.ResultsThe final synthesis represented 1190 candidates and assessors from faculties of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and osteopathy. We developed our findings into four key concepts. ‘Strengthening confidence in a virtual environment’ highlighted attempts to overcome and mitigate concerns associated with transitioning from in‐person to virtual assessment. ‘Understanding the scope of use as an assessment’ reflected on the suitability of vOSCE in assessing various skills. ‘Refining operational processes’ emphasised the technical challenges of implementing vOSCE and impacts on accessibility and resources. ‘Envisioning its future role’ considered the applicability of vOSCE in the climate of rapid development in telehealth.ConclusionThis meta‐ethnography highlighted that although vOSCE was primarily considered a temporary and crisis response, candidates and assessors recognised positive, as well as negative, consequences of the transition towards them. Moving forward, medical education policymakers should carefully consider the extent to which elements of vOSCE could be incorporated into assessment systems, particularly in light of the rise of telehealth in clinical practice.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%