Ottawa 2020 consensus statement for programmatic assessment - 1. Agreement on the principles

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Assessment in Health Professions Education
• Programmatic Assessment Principles

Background:

• The Ottawa 2018 Consensus provided criteria for assessment systems.
• Programmatic assessment is increasingly adopted in health professions education programs.
• This consensus statement defines programmatic assessment principles using practice and research insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the core principles of programmatic assessment.
• To synthesize insights from practice and research for programmatic assessment.
• To establish a consensus on programmatic assessment in health professions education.

Main Methods:

• An inventory of perceived components, rationale, and importance of programmatic assessment designs was completed for 15 health professions education programs.
• Input was gathered from attendees of a programmatic assessment workshop and symposium at the 2020 Ottawa conference.
• Findings were discussed in relation to current theory and research in assessment.

Main Results:

• Twelve key principles of programmatic assessment were identified.
• These principles were applied in curriculum and assessment design across programs with varying approaches and rigor.
• Programmatic assessment was found to be an achievable model embedded in practice and research.

Conclusions:

• Programmatic assessment is a viable and integrated educational and assessment model.
• Sharing operationalization strategies can support educators in implementing programmatic assessment.
• The identified principles provide a framework for developing and refining programmatic assessment systems.