Effects of the video case study in preparing paramedic preceptors for the role of evaluator

Accurate field evaluations are critical in determining paramedic students' competency to provide patient care. The [U.S.] National Paramedic Curriculum does not address the skills needed by evaluators, and requirements to be a preceptor/evaluator vary from state to state. Therefore, it is imperative that educational programs develop an evaluation process that reflects valid performance criteria and assure a high degree of rating consistency among the evaluators. This study sought to determine the effects of using a video case based teaching approach in preparing paramedic preceptors for the role of evaluator.

Paramedic preceptors receiving the case-based teaching approach to prepare them for the role of evaluator would demonstrate significantly higher scores on a video posttest than paramedic preceptors who were not prepared for the role of evaluator using the case-based approach.

Thirty-four paramedic preceptors from a Midwestern fire-based EMS system were enrolled in this study. Two scripted video student/patient encounters were used to measure evaluation scores in a pretest-posttest comparison of control versus experimental group. The experimental group was given structured rating guidelines and practice applying those guidelines to a case study. Pretest and posttest scores were weighted and analyzed using ANOVA.

Analysis of the pretest-posttest differences revealed significantly higher scores for the experimental group in the categories containing complex behaviors: communication F (1,16) = 13.21,p <.01, assessment F (1,16) = 8.81,p <.01, and knowledge F (1,16) = 29.64, p <.001. There was no significant difference between groups in the categories containing simple, easily observed behaviors: reliability F (1,16) = .55, p >.05 and cooperativeness F (1,16) = 3.02,p >.05.

Using the case study method and written guidelines that provide concrete examples of complex behaviors appears to increase reliability of evaluations among preceptors.