Application of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) for The Evaluation of Kampo Medicine Training

Background The purpose of study was to develop an objective, valid, and reliable assessment method for Kampo medicine using an OSCE for the evaluation of clinical competence in Kampo medicine Methods We developed a blueprint followed by a list of 47 assessment items and three task scenarios related to clinical competence in Kampo medicine. An eight-member test committee checked the relevance and pass/fail criteria of the assessment items on a Likert scale. We calculated a content validity index and content validity ratio, and used the Angoff method to set the passing threshold. We trained a total of nine simulated patients with three assigned to each scenario. We conducted an OSCE for 11 candidates with varying medical abilities, and conducted three stations per person, and one evaluator in one room by direct observation evaluated. We used video recordings to test the inter-rater reliability of the three raters. We used the test results to verify the reliability of the evaluation scale. Results The inter-rater reliability (Cronbach’s α) was 0.92–1.00, intra-examinee reliability was 0.59–0.95, and the reliability of each task was 0.86, 0.89, and 0.86 for Scenarios 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Conclusions We developed a content-valid new OSCE assessment method for Kampo medicine and obtained high inter-rater and test reliabilities. Our findings suggest that this is one of the most reliable and valid evaluation methods for assessing clinical competence in Kampo medicine.

A History of Board Certification in Pediatric Pathology on Its 30th Anniversary

In 1983 under the leadership of Dr. Daria Haust, the Pediatric Pathology Club (PPC; forerunner of the Society for Pediatric Pathology [SPP]), promulgated bylaws that included recognition of the special expertise required in pediatric pathology. This standard followed formal discussion that began as early as 1970, suggesting that special certification should be pursued, and the idea was vetted by the PPC in 1980 following a special report by Dr. Benjamin Landing and a letter to PPC members. Under the leadership of Dr. William Donnelly in 1984, a relationship between the SPP and the American Board of Pathology (ABPath) began in order to receive recognition of pediatric pathology as a special discipline. As a result, a test committee chaired by Dr. Jerald Schenken began preparing question categories and examples for ABPath examination. These efforts culminated in the first pediatric pathology subspecialty examination, held in Atlanta, Georgia on November 20, 1990. With this article we wish to detail the history of ABPath pediatric pathology board certification from its beginnings to the current time.

The Development of a Competency Testing Systems: Adopting TAM to Explore User’s Acceptance

The main problems of learning evaluation using paper based-test are inefficient time and cost. Technology can be used as a system to evaluate the learning process. Using technology can save time and cost of implementing learning evaluations. The aims of this study are to create a software product that can be used to evaluate the learning process. This software product is designed to be used by the test organizer or test committee, the teachers and the students (test takers). This software product was developed using Waterfall Model with five stages of development; communication, planning, modeling, construction, and deployment. The testing was conducted by using Blackbox Method and TAM Theory by considering the aspect of usefulness and the aspect ease of use. The analysis was based on the flow of the current test system. The web-based platform enables ease of access for conducting work in various places. According to the result, the Developed Skills Competency Test System is accepted and can be used by the user as an evaluation system.