Dataset Information

Four-Station Group Observed Structured Clinical Encounter for Formative Assessment of Communication Skills for Internal Medicine Clerks.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Communication with patients and among colleagues is critical to effective clinical care. A group observed structured clinical encounter (GOSCE) is an effective and resource-saving tool for teaching communication skills to medical students. While objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs) are a well-established assessment tool for communication skills, a GOSCE allows for formal observation of communication skills while also providing an opportunity for peer observation and feedback. Additionally, a GOSCE costs less and requires fewer faculty per learner than a traditional OSCE.

Methods

This is a four-station GOSCE to teach advanced communication skills to medical students. The stations are smoking cessation, difficult doctor-patient encounter, shared decision making, and delivering bad news. A group is made up of four to six students and one faculty member. At each station, one student takes the lead in the patient interview, followed by a group interview and ending with feedback by all participants.

Results

In the pilot phase, a total of 44 students were administered the GOSCE and were surveyed about their experience. Students felt the GOSCE was an enjoyable and educational experience. The GOSCE has subsequently been administered to more than 600 students, and 25 internal medicine faculty have participated.

Discussion

Our work demonstrates that the GOSCE is a feasible curricular enhancement for formative assessment of communication skills during the internal medicine clerkship. It is easy to implement and has been well received by all participants, with minimal impact on limited medical school and faculty resources.

SUBMITTER: Ludwig A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6464416 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Four-Station Group Observed Structured Clinical Encounter for Formative Assessment of Communication Skills for Internal Medicine Clerks.

Ludwig Allison A Lee Rosa R Parish Sharon S Raff Amanda A

MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources 20160826

<h4>Introduction</h4>Communication with patients and among colleagues is critical to effective clinical care. A group observed structured clinical encounter (GOSCE) is an effective and resource-saving tool for teaching communication skills to medical students. While objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs) are a well-established assessment tool for communication skills, a GOSCE allows for formal observation of communication skills while also providing an opportunity for peer observation and f ...[more]

PMID: 31008222

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Pre-recorded videotapes have become the standard approach when teaching clinical communication skills (CCS). Furthermore, video-based feedback (VF) has proven to be beneficial in formative assessments. However, VF in CCS with the use of pre-recorded videos from real-life settings is less commonly studied than the use of simulated patients. To explore: 1) perceptions about the potential benefits and challenges in this kind of VF; 2) differences in the CCC scores in first-year medical residents in primary care, before and after a communication program using VF in a curricular formative assessment. METHOD:We conducted a pre/post study with a control group. The intervention consisted of VF sessions regarding CCS, performed in a small group with peers and a facilitator. They reviewed clinical consultations pre-recorded in a primary care setting with real patients. Before and after the intervention, 54 medical residents performed two clinical examinations with simulated patients (SP), answered quantitative scales (Perception of Patient-Centeredness and Jefferson Empathy Scale), and semi-structured qualitative questionnaires. The performances were scored by SP (Perception of Patient-Centeredness and CARE scale) and by two blind raters (SPIKES protocol-based and CCOG-based scale). The quantitative data analysis employed repeated-measures ANOVA. The qualitative analysis used the Braun and Clarke framework for thematic analysis. RESULTS:The quantitative analyses did not reveal any significant differences in the sum scores of the questionnaires, except for the Jefferson Empathy Scale. In the qualitative questionnaires, the main potential benefits that emerged from the thematic analysis of the VF method were self-perception, peer-feedback, patient-centered approach, and incorporation of reflective practices. A challenging aspect that emerged from facilitators was the struggle to relate the VF with theoretical references and the resident's initial stress to record and watch oneself on video. CONCLUSION:VF taken from real-life settings seems to be associated with a significant increase in self-perceived empathy. The study of other quantitative outcomes related to this VF intervention needs larger sample sizes. VF with clinical patients from real healthcare settings appears to be an opportunity for a deeper level of self-assessment, peer-feedback, and reflective practices.

Project description:BackgroundTeaching and assessment of communication skills have become essential in medical education. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been found as an appropriate means to assess communication skills within medical education. Studies have demonstrated the importance of a valid assessment of medical students' communication skills. Yet, the validity of the performance scores depends fundamentally on the quality of the rating scales used in an OSCE. Thus, this systematic review aimed at providing an overview of existing rating scales, describing their underlying definition of communication skills, determining the methodological quality of psychometric studies and the quality of psychometric properties of the identified rating scales.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review to identify psychometrically tested rating scales, which have been applied in OSCE settings to assess communication skills of medical students. Our search strategy comprised three databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, and PubMed), reference tracking and consultation of experts. We included studies that reported psychometric properties of communication skills assessment rating scales used in OSCEs by examiners only. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the COnsensus based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. The quality of psychometric properties was evaluated using the quality criteria of Terwee and colleagues.ResultsData of twelve studies reporting on eight rating scales on communication skills assessment in OSCEs were included. Five of eight rating scales were explicitly developed based on a specific definition of communication skills. The methodological quality of studies was mainly poor. The psychometric quality of the eight rating scales was mainly intermediate.DiscussionOur results reveal that future psychometric evaluation studies focusing on improving the methodological quality are needed in order to yield psychometrically sound results of the OSCEs assessing communication skills. This is especially important given that most OSCE rating scales are used for summative assessment, and thus have an impact on medical students' academic success.

Dataset Information

Four-Station Group Observed Structured Clinical Encounter for Formative Assessment of Communication Skills for Internal Medicine Clerks.

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Four-Station Group Observed Structured Clinical Encounter for Formative Assessment of Communication Skills for Internal Medicine Clerks.

Similar Datasets

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