Evaluation of a computerized assessment package for general practitioner trainees

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• General practitioner (GP) trainees require effective methods to assess knowledge and identify learning needs.
• Traditional assessment methods may not always provide immediate feedback or adapt to individual learning progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a computerized assessment package for GP trainees.
• To measure the impact of teaching and identify knowledge weaknesses in trainees.
• To provide instant feedback and compare trainee performance with peer groups.

Main Methods:

• Development of an electronic assessment package including background details, confidence scales, multiple-choice questions across 11 areas, and a patient management problem.
• Trainees completed the assessment twice: at the beginning and end of their training year.
• Results were compared between consecutive trainee cohorts and analyzed for knowledge improvement.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in knowledge were observed in nearly all topic areas between the initial and final assessments.
• 63% of trainees found the computer package useful for identifying knowledge deficiencies.
• The assessment tool was perceived as effective and acceptable by trainees.

Conclusions:

• The computerized assessment package is an effective and acceptable tool for evaluating GP trainee knowledge.
• The program successfully facilitated learning by pinpointing areas for improvement and providing comparative feedback.
• This digital approach enhances the assessment process in medical education.