scholarly journals Evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of e- OSCE in the COVID- 19 era

Author(s):  
Sarra Shorbagi ◽  
Nabil Sulaiman ◽  
Ahmad Hasswan ◽  
Mujtaba Kaouas ◽  
Mona M. Al-Dijani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its quick progress to a global pandemic has urged medical schools to shift from didactic to distance learning and assessment approaches. The quality of clinical training and assessment have been jeopardized due to the regulatory restrictions and potential hazards to human lives. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examination (e-OSCE), which attempted to transform the format of a face-to-face OSCE to an e-OSCE.Methods: We conducted three end of clerkship e-OSCEs for final year medical students in Surgery, Medicine and Family Medicine using teleconferencing application of Microsoft Teams (MST). The e-OSCE blueprint included the assessment of all clinical skills except physical examination and procedural skills. Examiners supervised e-OSCE from the college campus while all students were remotely assessed through the MST channels. During the exam, the students stayed in their specified MST channels, examiners rotated across all students. The feasibility and effectiveness of e-OSCE was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire to students, examiners and e-OSCE team. Results: The data analysis showed that 93.4% students and 92.2% examiners agreed with the quality and process of e-OSCE. Similarly, 83.6% students and 98% examiners agreed with the fairness, smoothness and organization of e-OSCE. As many as 45.9% students and 74.5% examiners agreed that e-OSCE was close to real life practice. Approximately one fifth of students and one third of examiners preferred e-OSCE over the face-to-face OSCE. The analysis of qualitative data generated themes of e-OSCE structure and technology. While majority of participants were satisfied with e-OSCE, students were concerned about examiners’ training and e-OSCE contents. Examiners and e-OSCE team recognized the paper-less, tech-savy, fast and reliable e-OSCE format. Conclusion: During and beyond COVID- 19 era, e-OSCE is a feasible and effective modality for assessing clinical competence except for physical examination and procedural skills. The planning and implementation of e-OSCE reflects an ingenuity in assessment of clinical competencies of medical students.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarra Shorbagi ◽  
Nabil Sulaiman ◽  
Ahmad Hasswan ◽  
Mujtaba Kaouas ◽  
Mona M. Al-Dijani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its quick progression to a global pandemic has urged medical schools to shift from didactic to distance learning and assessment approaches. The quality of clinical training and assessment have been jeopardized due to the regulatory restrictions and potential hazards to human lives. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the utility and efficacy of an electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examination (e-OSCE), which attempted to transform the format of a face-to-face OSCE to an e-OSCE. Methods We conducted three end of clerkship e-OSCEs for final year medical students in Surgery, Medicine and Family Medicine using the teleconferencing application of Microsoft Teams (MST). The e-OSCE blueprint included the assessment of all clinical skills except physical examination and procedural skills. Examiners supervised e-OSCE from the college campus, while all students were remotely assessed through the MST channels. During the exam, the students stayed in their specified MST channel and examiners rotated across all students. The utility and efficacy of e-OSCE was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire for students, examiners and e-OSCE team. Results The data analysis showed that 93.4% students and 92.2% examiners agreed with the quality and process of e-OSCE. Similarly, 83.6% students and 98% examiners agreed with the seamless organization of e-OSCE. As many as 45.9% students and 74.5% examiners agreed that e-OSCE was close to real life practice. Approximately one fifth of students and one third of examiners preferred e-OSCE over the face-to-face OSCE. The analysis of qualitative data generated the themes of e-OSCE structure and technology. While majority of participants were satisfied with e-OSCE, students were concerned about examiners’ training and e-OSCE contents. Examiners and e-OSCE team recognized the paper-less, tech-savy, fast and reliable format of e-OSCE. Conclusion During and beyond COVID- 19 era, e-OSCE is a strong substitute to standard OSCE for assessing clinical competence except for physical examination and procedural skills. The planning and implementation of e-OSCE reflects an ingenuity in the assessment of clinical competencies of medical students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-90
Author(s):  
Juanita S. M. Kong ◽  
Boon See Teo ◽  
Yueh Jia Lee ◽  
Anu Bharath Pabba ◽  
Edmund J.D. Lee ◽  
...  

Introduction: With the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore underwent a national lockdown in which most organisations, including schools were closed. Halting face-to-face tutorials resulting in decreased clinical contact for medical students. Prior to the pandemic, we had developed the Virtual Integrated Patient (VIP). Equipped with conversational technology, it provides students online practice in various clinical skills such as history-taking, physical examination and investigations. The aim of this paper is to describe the supplementary use of VIP in the second-year class, in which a pilot study was conducted. Methods: The VIP platform was introduced to the cohort and used to supplement the teaching of history-taking in the “Communication with Patients” (CWP) module for second-year students. Traditionally, CWP tutorials involve face-to-face history-taking from standardised patients (SPs). Students, who consented to participating in the trial, had an additional 3 weeks’ access to VIP to practice their history-taking skills. They completed a survey on their user experience and satisfaction at the end of the 3 weeks. Results: Out of the 106 participants, 87% strongly agreed or agreed that using VIP helped in remembering the content while 69% of them felt that VIP increased their confidence and competence in history-taking. Conclusion: VIP was well-received by students and showed promise as a tool to supplement history-taking tutorials, prior to students’ encounter with SPs and real patients. Hence, this trend showed its potential as an alternative when clinical rotations were delayed or cancelled. Further research can be done to evaluate its effectiveness in this context.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daffalla A'lamElhuda ◽  
Leenah Mohammed S.M ◽  
Alamin Mustafa .E. M

Abstract Background: “Is COVID-19 pandemic the end of classical class room based education?” the most frequent question nowadays after the forced restrictions which included educational intuition lockdown، objectives, this paper aimed to study the perception of medical students towards virtual learning during COVID-19 pandemic at faculties of medicine at Alzaiem Alazhari and Khartoum universities in Sudan , 2021.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional faculty -based study in which self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 357 medical students at faculties of medicine at Alzaiem Alazhari university and university of Khartoum. Respondents were selected using simple random sampling, and data was analyzed using SPSS 26. Results: This study revealed that the average number of hours that spent on virtual learning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were statistically significant (p<0.05), with average of 1.9 hours per day before the pandemic and average of more than 3 hours per day during the pandemic (57.9%) .Moreover, the majority of the participants 77.9% (n=279) thought that virtual learning did not successfully replace the face to face classical teaching especially the clinical medical students 87.2% (n=312) who claimed that clinical skills cannot be taught virtually and they need the direct patient contact education in order to practice the clinical skills in a proper way.Conclusion: Virtual learning in these two medical faculties was found to be well perceived, because its pros outweighed its cons, as it was the most appropriate method to use in order to continue the education process during the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Cristina Tassorelli ◽  
Vincenzo Silani ◽  
Alessandro Padovani ◽  
Paolo Barone ◽  
Paolo Calabresi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the Italian healthcare system, underscoring a dramatic shortage of specialized doctors in many disciplines. The situation affected the activity of the residents in neurology, who were also offered the possibility of being formally hired before their training completion. Aims (1) To showcase examples of clinical and research activity of residents in neurology during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and (2) to illustrate the point of view of Italian residents in neurology about the possibility of being hired before the completion of their residency program. Results Real-life reports from several areas in Lombardia—one of the Italian regions more affected by COVID-19—show that residents in neurology gave an outstanding demonstration of generosity, collaboration, reliability, and adaptation to the changing environment, while continuing their clinical training and research activities. A very small minority of the residents participated in the dedicated selections for being hired before completion of their training program. The large majority of them prioritized their training over the option of earlier employment. Conclusions Italian residents in neurology generously contributed to the healthcare management of the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, while remaining determined to pursue their training. Neurology is a rapidly evolving clinical field due to continuous diagnostic and therapeutic progress. Stakeholders need to listen to the strong message conveyed by our residents in neurology and endeavor to provide them with the most adequate training, to ensure high quality of care and excellence in research in the future.


1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 33-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
G J Ghosh ◽  
P M Mclaren ◽  
J P Watson

The use of videoconferencing in psychotherapy remains largely unexplored. Videoconferencing compromises the range and quality of interactional information and thus might be expected to affect the working alliance (WA) between client and therapist, and consequently the process and outcome of therapy. A single case study exploring the effect of videoconferencing on the development of the WA in the psychological treatment of a female–male transsexual is described. The self-rated Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) was used to measure client and therapist perceptions of the WA after each session over 10 sessions of eclectic therapy conducted over a videolink. The serial WAI measurements charting the development of the WA in 4 cases of 10-session, face-to-face therapy by Horvath and Marx1 were used as a quasi-control. Therapist and client impressions of teletherapy are described. WAI scores were essentially similar to the face-to-face control group except for lower client-rated bond subscale scores. It is suggested that client personality factors accounted for this difference and that videoconferencing did not impair the development of an adequate working alliance or successful therapeutic outcome.


2021 ◽  
pp. e20210043
Author(s):  
Sarah Baillie ◽  
Annelies Decloedt ◽  
Molly Frendo Londgren

Flipped classroom is an educational technique in which content is delivered online for students to study at their own pace in preparation for in-class learning. Benefits include increased flexibility, enhanced student engagement and satisfaction, and more effective use of time spent during face-to-face teaching. However, the development and implementation of flipped classroom teaching are also associated with challenges, including time required to develop learning materials and getting students to engage with the preparatory work. This teaching tip describes a structured approach to designing and implementing the flipped classroom approach for clinical skills to allow a greater focus on practicing the hands-on skills and the provision of feedback during the laboratory session. First, the rationale for flipping the classroom and the expected benefits should be considered. On a practical level, decisions need to be made about what to include in the flipped component, how it will complement the face-to-face class, and how the resources will be created. In the design phase, adopting a structured template and aligning with established pedagogical principles is helpful. A well-designed flipped classroom motivates learners by including different elements such as quality educational media (e.g., videos), the opportunity to self-assess, and well-defined connections to relevant knowledge and skills. Student engagement with the flipped material can be promoted through different strategies such as clear communication to manage student expectations and adapting the delivery of the face-to-face component. Finally, gathering feedback and evaluating the initiative are important to inform future improvements.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 291-311
Author(s):  
(Gwen) Kuan-ying Kuo

In early 2020, the unforeseen COVID-19 has brought the art world to its knees, particularly the contemporary art scene needs viewers and feedback to survive. Artists require new channels connecting them with their audiences, while artists’ work needs to be seen and appreciated by the public to sustain its value. In the face of social distancing restrictions and limited visitors, however, many international exhibitions are forced to cancel or postponed. With less to no patronage, will the global pandemic bring the end of the art world? As the global pandemic has forced most social and cultural events moving online, the art biennials are no exception. This article examines the art biennial, the Olympics of the art world, to rediscover the meaning of ‘art’ before and after COVID-19. Integrating virtual presentation and digital campaign between the Taipei Biennial and the Shanghai Biennale, the first running art biennials across the Taiwan Strait, this article analyses and presents the art world’s potential shifts in the post-pandemic future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 2235-2239
Author(s):  
Farrukh Sarfraz ◽  
Fahad Sarfraz ◽  
Imran Jawad ◽  
Mohammad Zia-Ul-Miraj ◽  
Rizwan Zafar Ahmad ◽  
...  

Background: To assess the competency of a student different tools are used. Since its introduction in 1975 by Dr. Harden and his team, OSCE has gained tremendous strides to assess the clinical competencies. Since 1975 onward OSCE has been very successfully used to assess the clinical competencies of medical student globally. OSCE is an assessment tool in which student is observed for performance of different tasks at specified stations. In the current study perception of medical students about OSCE examination was done which shall give room for positive criticism and further improvement of the system where ever required. Objective: To expedite view of final year MBBS students of Azra Naheed College about OSCE Material and Method Study design: Quantitative, cross sectional study. Settings: Azra Naheed College, Lahore. Duration: Six months i.e. 1st July2020 to 31st December 2020 Data Collection procedure: After an informed consent and appropriate briefing, the questionnaire was distributed among the final year medical students of Azra Naheed Medical College. Questionnaire developed by Russell et al was used. Results: Out of 148 students who participated in the study, 66(45%) students were females and 82(55%) were male. Majority of the students were satisfied with the quality of the exam. Consensus about the quality of exam was that, 29.7% were aware about the nature of the exam, 52.7% were satisfied that the syllabus taught was asked in the exam, 58.1% were satisfied about the time allocation for each station. Majority i.e. 60% considered OSCE an exam of practical nature which is not biased by gender or ethnicity. More than 50% of the students were satisfied with the standard of the exam. At the same time more than 50% students considered essay exam the easiest format of assessment. However, OSCE was considered to be fairest form of assessment 73%. 68.9% perceived that learning is enhanced by MCQs rather than other formats of assessment. Conclusion: To conclude this study, it is very much clear that the perception of students about OSCE as an assessment tool was very encouraging, as it not only provided them the opportunity to highlight their weaknesses but also helped them to perform well in the exam, manage time during exam and to overcome them stress which influenced their results. Key words: OSCE, Objective, Examinations, Clinical skills, qualitative analysis


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Kristen McAlpine ◽  
Stephen Steele

<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> The urogenital physical examination is an important aspect of patient encounters in various clinical settings. Introductory clinical skills sessions are intended to provide support and alleviate students’ anxiety when learning this sensitive exam. The techniques each Canadian medical school uses to guide their students through the initial urogenital examination has not been previously reported.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> This study surveyed pre-clerkship clinical skills program directors at the main campus of English-speaking Canadian medical schools regarding the curriculum they use to teach the urogenital examination.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> A response rate of 100% was achieved, providing information on resources and faculty available to students, as well as the manner in which students were evaluated. Surprisingly, over onethird of the Canadian medical schools surveyed failed to provide a setting in which students perform a urogenital examination on a patient in their pre-clinical years. Additionally, there was no formal evaluation of this skill set reported by almost 50% of Canadian medical schools prior to clinical training years.</p><p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> To ensure medical students are confident and accurate in performing a urogenital examination, it is vital they be provided the proper resources, teaching, and training. As we progress towards a competency-based curriculum, it is essential that increased focus be placed on patient encounters in undergraduate training. Further research to quantify students’ exposure to the urogenital examination during clinical years would be of interest. Without this commitment by Canadian medical schools, we are doing a disservice not only to the medical students, but also to our patient population.</p>


Author(s):  
Debra Sprague

Flipping the classroom has gained much attention over the past couple of years. It involves using video and online technologies to provide the lecture portion of a lesson. Students view the online lecture for homework, while class time is spent engaged in applying what is learned from the lecture. By doing this, it is believed students become active learners and take more responsibility for their learning.Although a skeptic of the flipped learning model (after all, a lecture is a lecture no matter what format it takes) the presenter decided to give it a try and flip one of her teacher education courses. The result was more student engagement, better quality of student work, and increase in student evaluations.This presentation will focus on strategies for flipping a course through the creation of a hybrid (combination of online and face-to-face) course. The presenter will share with the audience how she provided meaningful online activities and how she engaged the students during the face-to-face classes. Although the course content derives from the education discipline, the strategies presented can fit any content area.


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