scholarly journals Assessing competence in emergency medicine trainees: an overview of effective methodologies

CJEM ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 365-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Sherbino ◽  
Glen Bandiera ◽  
Jason R. Frank

ABSTRACTHow do we define competence in emergency medicine (EM), and how do we know when a resident has achieved it? In recent years, the idea of physician competence has become widely recognized as being multidimensional. This has resulted in an emphasis on competency-based education and assessment. We describe an up-to-date model to assess competence in EM. An overview of appropriate EM assessment tools is provided, along with their significant strengths and limitations. Sample behaviours representative of core competencies commonly assessed in EM training are matched to appropriate assessment tools. This review may serve as an introductory resource for EM clinicians, teachers and educators involved in EM trainee assessment.

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (03) ◽  
pp. 155-162
Author(s):  
Marisa Louridas ◽  
Sandra de Montbrun

AbstractMinimally invasive and robotic techniques have become increasingly implemented into surgical practice and are now an essential part of the foundational skills of training colorectal surgeons. Over the past 5 years there has been a shift in the surgical educational paradigm toward competency-based education (CBE). CBE recognizes that trainees learn at different rates but regardless, are required to meet a competent threshold of performance prior to independent practice. Thus, CBE attempts to replace the traditional “time” endpoint of training with “performance.” Although conceptually sensible, implementing CBE has proven challenging. This article will define competence, outline appropriate assessment tools to assess technical skill, and review the literature on the number of cases required to achieve competence in colorectal procedures while outlining the barriers to implementing CBE.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (04) ◽  
pp. 310-324
Author(s):  
Jerry K. Hoepner ◽  
Abby L. Hemmerich

AbstractA key element of competency-based education is assessment. Effective assessment requires access to a core set of expectations that match a learner's level of preparation. Miller's triangle provides a framework for establishing appropriate expectations that move learners from novice to entry-level clinicians. Formative assessment and feedback are a crucial part of facilitating learning in this context. A pilot investigation was conducted to examine the effects of a formative, video competency on performance in a summative, live competency. Rubrics were used to score performance on two competencies, an oral mechanism exam (OME) and a clinical bedside swallowing examination (CBSE). Performance on the OME was significantly improved in the summative competency, compared with the formative, video competency. Performance on the CBSE did not change from formative to summative competency. Assessment in competency-based education is important as a measure of readiness for entry-level practice. Formative assessment and feedback can improve preparedness and performance on summative competencies. Detailed, criterion-referenced assessment tools are crucial to identifying performance. While the OME rubric used in this investigation appears to meet that standard, it is likely that the CBSE rubric was not specific enough to detect changes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e106-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle N Colmers-Gray ◽  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Teresa M Chan

Background: Competency-based medical education is becoming the new standard for residency programs, including Emergency Medicine (EM). To inform programmatic restructuring, guide resources and identify gaps in publication, we reviewed the published literature on types and frequency of resident assessment.Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo and ERIC from Jan 2005 - June 2014. MeSH terms included “assessment,” “residency,” and “emergency medicine.” We included studies on EM residents reporting either of two primary outcomes: 1) assessment type and 2) assessment frequency per resident. Two reviewers screened abstracts, reviewed full text studies, and abstracted data. Reporting of assessment-related costs was a secondary outcome.Results: The search returned 879 articles; 137 articles were full-text reviewed; 73 met inclusion criteria. Half of the studies (54.8%) were pilot projects and one-quarter (26.0%) described fully implemented assessment tools/programs. Assessment tools (n=111) comprised 12 categories, most commonly: simulation-based assessments (28.8%), written exams (28.8%), and direct observation (26.0%). Median assessment frequency (n=39 studies) was twice per month/rotation (range: daily to once in residency). No studies thoroughly reported costs.Conclusion: EM resident assessment commonly uses simulation or direct observation, done once-per-rotation. Implemented assessment systems and assessment-associated costs are poorly reported. Moving forward, routine publication will facilitate transitioning to competency-based medical education.


Author(s):  
Catherine Gonsalves ◽  
Zareen Zaidi

Purpose: There have been critiques that competency training, which defines the roles of a physician by simple, discrete tasks or measurable competencies, can cause students to compartmentalize and focus mainly on being assessed without understanding how the interconnected competencies help shape their role as future physicians. Losing the meaning and interaction of competencies can result in a focus on ‘doing the work of a physician’ rather than identity formation and ‘being a physician.’ This study aims to understand how competency-based education impacts the development of a medical student’s identity. Methods: Three ceramic models representing three core competencies ‘medical knowledge,’ ‘patient care,’ and ‘professionalism’ were used as sensitizing objects, while medical students reflected on the impact of competency-based education on identity formation. Qualitative analysis was used to identify common themes. Results: Students across all four years of medical school related to the ‘professionalism’ competency domain (50%). They reflected that ‘being an empathetic physician’ was the most important competency. Overall, students agreed that competency-based education played a significant role in the formation of their identity. Some students reflected on having difficulty in visualizing the interconnectedness between competencies, while others did not. Students reported that the assessment structure deemphasized ‘professionalism’ as a competency. Conclusion: Students perceive ‘professionalism’ as a competency that impacts their identity formation in the social role of ‘being a doctor,’ albeit a competency they are less likely to be assessed on. High-stakes exams, including the United States Medical Licensing Exam clinical skills exam, promote this perception.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-10
Author(s):  
Vivek R Joshi ◽  
Michael J Younger ◽  
Bhargavi Joshi

Background: Medical education has been reliant on didactic lectures, which are predominantly teacher-centered learning. Competency-based education was introduced in North America and with this came a paradigm shift in how schools conceptualize curricula and measure learning outcomes. This modern approach started a change away from traditional lecture-based and teacher-centered curricula to a more student-centric approach using various tools. Competency based education is widely regarded as an outcome-based approach to design, implement and evaluate the curriculum using widely accepted competencies. Authorities recommend seven core competencies which have various indicators to address student performance. The main purpose of this research is to utilize active learning tools to enhance this approach and then assess competencies in the first year of medical school to improve academic outcomes as well as exposing students to competency domains on which they will be assessed and to ultimately create a complete physician. Methods: The study was conducted at a medical school during the first semester of medical school and included 145 students. Various active learning tools, such as modified case-based learning, quizzes, and case discussions, were used to assess competency in a biochemistry and genetics course, and these were compared to questions based on concepts delivered by the traditional lecture method. Results: Student performance on high-stakes examinations after active learning sessions on content and concepts had statistically higher average percentages on the second, third and fourth examinations. The average Diff (p) for the second, third, and fourth examination to the questions being considered for the study were (Diff p= 0.84, 0.83, and 0.92) with a positive moderate correlation for the second examination (r= 0.535) and strong positive correlation for the third and fourth examination (r=0.745 and r=0.856) for their final biochemistry grades. Conclusion: The study shows some positive and significant results that active learning methods are a useful and meaningful way to deliver a curriculum for a competency-based education system, and may be better suited than traditional lectures for providing content and assessing competencies which are necessary to become a complete physician.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Yu Guo ◽  
Shuang Lu ◽  
Chien-Chung Huang ◽  
Yuqi Wang ◽  
Yiwen Zhang

This study investigates how competency-based education and assessment prepare social work students to become competent professionals, with a quantitative examination of Chinese students’ (n=332) core competencies. Factor analysis suggests that core competencies can be grouped into conceptual and professional dimensions. The regression results demonstrate that curriculum content satisfaction, preference for the social work major, field experience, and knowledge of career outlook are positively related to students’ conceptual, professional, and comprehensive competencies. Gender and willingness for further study also relate positively to both conceptual and comprehensive competencies, and grade is positively associated with professional competency. These findings carry important implications for the competency-based approach to social work education in China.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 238212052110417
Author(s):  
Zhi H. Ong ◽  
Lorraine H. E. Tan ◽  
Haziratul Z. B. Ghazali ◽  
Yun T. Ong ◽  
Jeffrey W. H. Koh ◽  
...  

Background Interprofessional communication (IPC) is integral to interprofessional teams working in the emergency medicine (EM) setting. Yet, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has laid bare gaps in IPC knowledge, skills and attitudes. These experiences underscore the need to review how IPC is taught in EM. Purpose A systematic scoping review is proposed to scrutinize accounts of IPC programs in EM. Methods Krishna's Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA) is adopted to guide this systematic scoping review. Independent searches of ninedatabases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC, JSTOR, Google Scholar and OpenGrey) and “negotiated consensual validation” were used to identify articles published between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2020. Three research teams reviewed the data using concurrent content and thematic analysis and independently summarized the included articles. The findings were scrutinized using SEBA's jigsaw perspective and funneling approach to provide a more holistic picture of the data. Results In total 18,809 titles and abstracts were identified after removal of duplicates, 76 full-text articles reviewed, and 19 full-text articles were analyzed. In total, four themes and categories were identified, namely: (a) indications and outcomes, (2) curriculum and assessment methods, (3) barriers, and (4) enablers. Conclusion IPC training in EM should be longitudinal, competency- and stage-based, underlining the need for effective oversight by the host organization. It also suggests a role for portfolios and the importance of continuing support for physicians in EM as they hone their IPC skills. Highlights • IPC training in EM is competency-based and organized around stages. • IPC competencies build on prevailing knowledge and skills. • Longitudinal support and holistic oversight necessitates a central role for the host organization. • Longitudinal, robust, and adaptable assessment tools in the EM setting are necessary and may be supplemented by portfolio use.


Author(s):  
Stefanie R. Ellison ◽  
Jordann Dhuse

This chapter serves to provide medical educators with an overview of competency-based education (CBME) and the clinical skills necessary for medical school graduate. Technology that supports the teaching, learning, and assessment of CBME and clinical skills is defined and examples are provided for each of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies. The competencies are defined, and clinical skills embedded in each are highlighted. This chapter provides a summary of the useful technological tools and provides examples of medical schools that use technology to teach and assess CBME with these tools. Online teaching or eLearning, simulation, online assessment, virtual humans, the electronic health record, gaming, procedural software, discussion boards, reflective writing, portfolios, and telemedicine programs are covered in detail.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-168
Author(s):  
Eun Sook Park

This study is a case study regarding the operation of the liberal arts curriculum based on core competencies. It was conducted to explore the developmental direction of the competency-based curriculum. The study investigated the trend in the changes of the competency-based curriculum of N University, as well as the actual conditions and demands of the faculty’ capacity-based curriculum operation.N University's competency-based education has grown through a three-stage transformation process. The quality of education has been managed by diagnosing the effectiveness of competency-based education at the curriculum level through competency matching with the competency of the subject. While professors are highly aware of the necessity of competency-based education, they are relatively inadequate when it comes to teaching various curriculums. Therefore, for the purpose of competency-based education, it is necessary to diversify the curriculum.The professor was engaged in the following activities to operate the competency-based curriculum: student-centered class preparation and activity-oriented teaching methods, one-on-one feedback and guidance on activity experiences, observation and activity-oriented competency evaluation, and curriculum improvement plans reflecting student opinions, etc. Through the exploration of this process of change, and based on the recognition of the professors, suggestions on educational policy, educational content, and educational methods were made.The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that a specific case of competency-based education at a certain university, along with the perception of professors with competency-based education experience, suggests the direction in which competency-based education is heading.


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