Clinical assessment in the Health Sciences David Taylor School of Medical Education University of Liverpool

Options Clinical assessment can occur in many places Clinical assessment can occur in many places Can be peer or supervisor Can be peer or supervisor Can be formative or summative Can be formative or summative

Clinical assessment can occur in many places In clinics In clinics On the wards On the wards In the community In the community In skills labs In skills labs

Can be peer or supervisor It depends on the domains to be assessed It depends on the domains to be assessed It depends upon the “stakes” It depends upon the “stakes” It requires assessors to be given real criteria It requires assessors to be given real criteria But this is essential whoever is doing the assessment But this is essential whoever is doing the assessment

Can be formative or summative Not all assessment is summative Not all assessment is summative Formative assessment needs to be of the same domains as the summative assessment Formative assessment needs to be of the same domains as the summative assessment And can be a very strong learning experience And can be a very strong learning experience Wherever possible students should be given feedback on their assessment. Wherever possible students should be given feedback on their assessment. Students prefer feedback to be face-to-face Students prefer feedback to be face-to-face But a written version might help if there is a difference of opinion But a written version might help if there is a difference of opinion

There are many ways Skills lab – OSCEs Skills lab – OSCEs Communication skills OSCEs Communication skills OSCEs Case presentations Case presentations Portfolios Portfolios Bedside – depends on the competency… Bedside – depends on the competency…

The first question is… Which competencies do you wish to assess Which competencies do you wish to assess

For each What does it entail? What does it entail? How good do they have to be to pass? How good do they have to be to pass? Are some things crucial Are some things crucial Break the task down Break the task down Set criteria Set criteria How many things are you going to sample? How many things are you going to sample? What environment? What environment? Validity vs. reliability Validity vs. reliability

For all How many things are you going to sample? How many things are you going to sample? What environment? What environment? Validity vs. reliability Validity vs. reliability

Objective-structured clinical examinations Criteria do not need to be too specific Criteria do not need to be too specific You do not need too many criteria You do not need too many criteria But you do need to “know what a good one looks like” But you do need to “know what a good one looks like”

OSCEs