Implementing a Real-time Workplace-based Assessment Data Collection System Across an Entire Medical School's Clinical...

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background & Objectives: Workplace-based assessments (WBAs) are a vital aspect of medical student competency assessment for the core Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), but pose significant challenges since assessment must occur in real-time during the routine care of patients. We developed an online WBA system designed to overcome these challenges, and implemented it across an entire undergraduate medical education program to address the need for EPA competency assessment. We describe the development and implementation process, and present initial results from our inaugural medical student cohort. Methods: The WBA tool was designed to be student-driven, easy to use, and minimally disruptive to clinical care. Students trigger assessments by choosing the desired EPA to be assessed within a custom-built Qualtrics ^XM survey application. Their clinical assessor is prompted to select their level of involvement in the activity using the modified Ottawa co-activity scale and provide brief written feedback. Direct verbal feedback at time of discussion is encouraged. Results: 3,568 WBAs were completed. The mean number of assessments per student for all EPAs combined was 24.27 with a range of 1-103. All students completed at least one WBA. Over the course of 12 months, the mean number of EPAs recorded per student in this cohort was lowest for EPA 10 (Recognizing a Patient Requiring Urgent or Emergent Care and Initiate Evaluation and Management) (mean=0.36; range 0-4; n=53) and was highest for EPA 6 (Provide an Oral Presentation for a Clinical Encounter) (mean=5.46; range 1-17; n=803). The mean number of minutes it took to complete the assessments was 2.7 minutes with a standard deviation of 1.2 minutes (n=2,803). Conclusion: An electronic application-based survey collecting real-time WBAs to assess progress toward attaining competence in EPA performance resulted in increased assessment data within a medical school cohort.