Internet-based assessment of medical students' ophthalmoscopy skills

Ophthalmoscopy is an important skill in undergraduate medical education. The use and outcome of a novel Internet-based method for assessing motor skills-related aspects of ophthalmoscopy skills in medical students are described.

A total of 139 students in Malmö and 255 students in Umeå were assessed during four consecutive semesters. An optic disc photograph was obtained in each student. At assessment each student was asked to examine the eye of a fellow student. Fifteen disc photographs were displayed on a computer screen. One of the photographs was from the fellow student. The remaining images had been randomly selected. The student was asked to identify the optic disc of the fellow student from the 15 photographs on the screen. In one semester, the time spent on this by each student was recorded.

All students completed the task. The average pass ratio was 96.4% (ranging from 94.0% to 98.0%). Median student times were 5.53 mins in Malmö and 6.36 mins in Umeå.

This is the first automated, Internet-based assessment of an ophthalmic motor skill performed in co-operation between universities. The method used bears more similarities to real-life ophthalmoscopy than methods that use model eyes. Time investments and infrastructure demands were comparatively low. The method was designed for stand-alone assessment of ophthalmoscopy or as an objective structured clinical examination station, but it may also be used during the learning process. The collaboration between universities was easily transformed into routine practice and similar projects should be encouraged to increase the standardization of assessment.