Assessment and recency drive skill acquisition.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Healthcare Training

Background:

• Medical student clinical skill assessment varies due to differing curricula and health service needs.
• This study investigates the impact of assessment models on intravenous (i.v.) cannulation performance.
• Recency of practice was also examined as a potential influencing factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if different assessment models affect medical students' i.v. cannulation performance.
• To explore the relationship between assessment strategies and clinical skill acquisition.
• To evaluate the role of practice recency in procedural competency.

Main Methods:

• A multiple-station mock objective structured clinical examination (MOSCE) was conducted with 137 first-year clinical medical students from four regional schools.
• Students were divided into two groups: model 1 (i.v. proficiency assessed) and model 2 (i.v. proficiency not assessed).
• Participants reported their most recent i.v. cannulation experience.

Main Results:

• Model 1 students achieved a significantly higher MOSCE pass rate (73%) compared to model 2 students (45%).
• A strong association was found between the assessment model and MOSCE pass/fail rates.
• The assessment model was also significantly linked to the recency of students' practical experience.

Conclusions:

• Assessment models that incorporate continuous clinical practice, such as i.v. cannulation, enhance medical student skill acquisition.
• Integrating such models necessitates innovative teaching approaches and collaboration with healthcare organizations.
• The findings support the development of structured assessment frameworks to ensure consistent clinical competency.