Assessment of Student IPEC Competency Using Observer-Based Evaluation in Didactic Interprofessional Education...

Area of Science:

• Interprofessional Education (IPE)
• Healthcare Professional Training
• Competency Assessment

Background:

• IPE competency development requires diverse learning experiences.
• Existing IPE evaluation tools often rely on self-assessment, creating a need for objective measures.
• Observer-based assessment can provide a more accurate evaluation of IPE competency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an observer-based assessment of individual student IPEC Competency development.
• To compare observer-based ratings with student self-evaluation ratings in a didactic IPE setting.
• To pilot the IPEC Competency Assessment Tool of Individual Students (I-CATIS).

Main Methods:

• The I-CATIS was piloted in a case collaboration activity with pharmacy and dental students.
• Faculty facilitators were trained on the I-CATIS to evaluate students on 13 IPEC sub-competencies.
• Student self-efficacy ratings were compared with faculty observer ratings.

Main Results:

• Sixty-three pharmacy students were evaluated by six faculty.
• A significant majority of students were rated as "Minimal" (26%) or "Developing" (64%) in competencies, with only 10% rated as "Competent."
• Student self-evaluations were consistently higher than observer ratings across all sub-competencies.

Conclusions:

• The I-CATIS facilitates observer-based evaluation of individual student IPEC Competency in didactic settings.
• This tool can supplement self-evaluation data and inform curriculum development for collaborative practice readiness.
• Objective assessment is crucial for ensuring healthcare graduates are competent in collaborative environments.