Dataset Information

Simulation Game Versus Multiple Choice Questionnaire to Assess the Clinical Competence of Medical Students: Prospective Sequential Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of simulation games (SG) to assess the clinical competence of medical students has been poorly studied.

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess whether an SG better reflects the clinical competence of medical students than a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ).

Methods

Fifth-year medical students in Paris (France) were included and individually evaluated on a case of pediatric asthma exacerbation using three successive modalities: high-fidelity simulation (HFS), considered the gold standard for the evaluation of clinical competence, the SG Effic'Asthme, and an MCQ designed for the study. The primary endpoint was the median kappa coefficient evaluating the correlation of the actions performed by the students between the SG and HFS modalities and the MCQ and HFS modalities. Student satisfaction was also evaluated.

Results

Forty-two students were included. The actions performed by the students were more reproducible between the SG and HFS modalities than between the MCQ and HFS modalities (P=.04). Students reported significantly higher satisfaction with the SG (P<.01) than with the MCQ modality.

Conclusions

The SG Effic'Asthme better reflected the actions performed by medical students during an HFS session than an MCQ on the same asthma exacerbation case. Because SGs allow the assessment of more dimensions of clinical competence than MCQs, they are particularly appropriate for the assessment of medical students on situations involving symptom recognition, prioritization of decisions, and technical skills.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03884114; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03884114.

SUBMITTER: Fonteneau T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7773513 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Simulation Game Versus Multiple Choice Questionnaire to Assess the Clinical Competence of Medical Students: Prospective Sequential Trial.

Fonteneau Tristan T Billion Elodie E Abdoul Cindy C Le Sebastien S Hadchouel Alice A Drummond David D

Journal of medical Internet research 20201216 12

<h4>Background</h4>The use of simulation games (SG) to assess the clinical competence of medical students has been poorly studied.<h4>Objective</h4>The objective of this study was to assess whether an SG better reflects the clinical competence of medical students than a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ).<h4>Methods</h4>Fifth-year medical students in Paris (France) were included and individually evaluated on a case of pediatric asthma exacerbation using three successive modalities: high-fidelit ...[more]

PMID: 33325833

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Project description:BackgroundUndergraduate medical education is supposed to equip medical students with basic competences to select any specialty of their choice for postgraduate training. Medical specialties are characterized by a great diversity of their daily work routines and require different sets of competence facets. This study examines the self-assessed competence profiles of final-year undergraduate medical students and their specialty choice for postgraduate training. Students' profiles, who wish to choose anaesthesiology, internal medicine, or paediatrics, are compared with the physicians' competence profiles from these three disciplines.MethodsIn this study, 148 volunteer final-year undergraduate medical students completed the modified requirement-tracking (R-Track) questionnaire for self-assessment of their competence profiles. The R-Track questionnaire contains 63 competence facets assigned to six areas of competence: "Mental abilities", "Sensory abilities", "Psychomotor & multitasking abilities", "Social interactive competences", "Motivation", and "Personality traits". The expression of the different competence facets had to be assessed on a 5-point Likert scale (1: "very low" to 5: "very high"). Additionally, socio-demographic data and the participants' first choice of a medical speciality for postgraduate education were collected. We used analysis of variance (ANOVA) for mean score comparison of subgroups and least significant difference (LSD) tests for post hoc analysis.ResultsThe competence area with the highest rating was "Motivation" (3.70 ± 0.47) while "Psychomotor & multitasking abilities" received the lowest rating (3.34 ± 0.68). Individual facets of competence ranked from "In need of harmony" (4.36 ± 0.72), followed by "Tactfulness" (4.26 ± 0.64), and "Cooperation/Agreeableness" (4.24 ± 0.53) to "Risk orientation" (2.90 ± 0.92), "Mathematical reasoning" (2.87 ± 1.25), and "Sanctioning" (2.26 ± 0.93). The students' competence profiles showed 100 % congruence with physicians' competence profiles of the postgraduate specialty of their choice for internal medicine, 33.3 % for paediatrics, and 0 % for anaesthesiology.ConclusionsUndergraduate medical students could define their competence profiles with the modified R-Track questionnaire and compare them with the profile of their desired specialty for postgraduate training to discover possible learning gaps or to detect good specialty matches. A combination of students' competence self-assessment with an external assessment of students' facets of competence could provide curricular planners with useful information how to design learning opportunities for specific facets of competence.

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Project description:BackgroundChoosing a medical specialty is an important, complex, and not fully understood process. The present study investigated the factors that are related to choosing and rejecting medical specialties in a group of students and recent medical doctors.Methodology and findingsA cross-sectional survey of 1,223 medical students and doctors was performed in Brazil in 2012. A standardized literature-based questionnaire was applied that gathered preferable or rejected specialties, and asked questions about extracurricular experiences and the influence of 14 factors on a Likert-type scale from 0 to 4. Specialties were grouped according to lifestyle categories: controllable and uncontrollable, which were subdivided into primary care, internal medicine, and surgical specialties. Notably, the time period of rejection was usually earlier than the time period of intended choice (p < 0.0001, χ(2) = 107.2). The choice mainly occurred during the internship period in medical school (n = 466; 38.7%). An overall large frequency of participation in extracurricular activities was observed (n = 1,184; 95.8%), which were highly associated with the respective medical area. Orthopedic surgery had the highest correlation with participation in specialty-specific organized groups (OR = 59.9, 95% CI = 21.6-166.3) and psychiatry was correlated with participation in research groups (OR = 18.0, 95% CI = 9.0-36.2). With regard to influential factors in controllable lifestyle specialties, "financial reason" (mean score ± standard deviation: 2.8 ± 1.0; median = 3) and "personal time" (3.1 ± 1.3; median = 4) were important factors. In primary care, these factors were less important (1.7 ± 1.3 and 1.7 ± 1.5, respectively; median = 2 for both), and higher scores were observed for "curricular internship" (3.2 ± 1.1, median = 4) and "social commitment" (2.6 ± 1.3, median = 3).ConclusionThe present findings provide important insights into developing strategies to stimulate interest in specialties based on the needs of the Brazilian healthcare system.

Project description:Background:The Clinical Placement Enhancement Program (CPEP) is a simulation course for medical students learning the core topics of cardiovascular and respiratory medicine, incorporating patient safety and professionalism teaching and based on adult learning principles and proven educational theory. The aims of this study are to assess whether the CPEP delivered at the beginning of a clinical rotation would result in competency outcomes that are at least equivalent to those achieved through a standard 6-week programme and whether this programme would increase student confidence levels in assessing and managing patients with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Methods:This was a pseudo-randomised control trial between two groups of medical students from one clinical school. The intervention group participated in CPEP, a 4-day immersive simulation course, in the first week of their cardiac and respiratory medicine clinical rotation. The control group participants attended the normal programme of the 6-week cardiovascular and respiratory medicine clinical rotation. The programme and student competence was assessed using Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and self-reported confidence surveys. Results:There was no significant difference in OSCE scoring between the intervention group (examined in week one of their clinical rotation following CPEP) and the control group (examined at the end of their full clinical rotation). Students exposed to CPEP started their clinical rotation with confidence levels similar to those reported by the control group at the end of their rotation. Confidence levels of CPEP students were higher at the end of the rotation compared to those of the control group. Conclusions:Based on OSCE results, immersion into a 4-day simulation-based teaching programme at the start of a clinical rotation resulted in skill competency levels that were equivalent to those obtained after a full clinical rotation of 6 weeks. CPEP improved students' confidence levels in the assessment and management of patients presenting with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Simulation utilised in courses such as CPEP has the potential to enhance the overall learning experience in medical school clinical rotations.

Dataset Information

Simulation Game Versus Multiple Choice Questionnaire to Assess the Clinical Competence of Medical Students: Prospective Sequential Trial.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Trial registration

Publications

Simulation Game Versus Multiple Choice Questionnaire to Assess the Clinical Competence of Medical Students: Prospective Sequential Trial.

Similar Datasets

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