Implementation of Virtual Interprofessional Observed Structured Clinical Encounters (OSCEs): A Pilot Study

This pilot study was designed to investigate the feasibility of incorporating validated McMaster-Ottawa Team Observed Structured Clinical Encounters (TOSCEs) as a behavioral assessment in an interprofessional education (IPE) program using Zoom Communications. First- and second-year students from 11 health professional programs (e.g., audiology, dental hygiene, graduate psychology, healthcare administration and leadership, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy and athletic training, and physician assistant studies) at a single university participated and were assessed on the four Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies. Students completed three McMaster-Ottawa TOSCE stations (20 mins per station), followed by a large group debriefing for all participants to discuss the process and provide feed¬back. A validated, abbreviated version of the McMaster-Ottawa scoring rubric was utilized by faculty observers, and individual student scores were submitted using a Google form. Kruskal Wallis tests were used to analyze student performance related to the IPEC core competencies to deter¬mine whether significant differences existed between mean performance scores as compared by year in program (first year vs. second), and between case types. Kruskal-Wallis tests suggested differences on the collaborative patient performance item between the pediatric and diabetes cases only. There were no significant differences in performance across academic year in health professional programs, p > 0.05. Qualitative feedback highlighted the timely telehealth approach to collaborative practice and effective delivery of the interprofessional (IP) OSCE event across all of the student focus groups. The virtual IP OSCEs were feasible and recommended as a valuable IPE initiative at our institution.