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

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Medical Simulation
• Interprofessional Learning

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for developing collaborative practice skills among health professionals.
• Assessing core competencies in IPE programs can be challenging, especially in virtual settings.
• Team Observed Structured Clinical Encounters (TOSCEs) offer a standardized method for behavioral assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using virtual McMaster-Ottawa TOSCEs within an interprofessional education program.
• To assess the performance of health professional students on Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies using a telehealth approach.
• To gather qualitative feedback on the virtual IPE OSCE experience.

Main Methods:

• First- and second-year students from 11 health programs participated in three virtual TOSCE stations via Zoom.
• Faculty observers used a validated scoring rubric to assess student performance on IPEC core competencies.
• Kruskal Wallis tests analyzed performance differences by academic year and case type, supplemented by qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in performance were found across academic years (p > 0.05).
• Performance differences were noted only on the collaborative patient item between pediatric and diabetes cases.
• Qualitative feedback indicated the telehealth approach was timely and effective for the interprofessional OSCE event.

Conclusions:

• Virtual IP OSCEs, utilizing TOSCEs via Zoom, are feasible for IPE.
• This telehealth approach is a valuable and recommended initiative for assessing interprofessional competencies.
• The virtual format effectively delivered the interprofessional OSCE event, meeting institutional needs.