The Objective Structured Teaching Encounter (OSTE) in health professions education: A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: New emphasis on the assessment of health professions educators' teaching competence has led to greater use of the Objective Structured Teaching Encounter (OSTE). The purpose of this study is to review and further describe the current uses and learning outcomes of the OSTE in health professions education.

Materials and methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL (March 2010 to February 2022) were searched for English-language studies describing the use of an OSTE for any educational purpose within health professions education.

Results: Of the 29 articles that met inclusion criteria, over half of the studies (17 of 29, 58.6%) were published during or after 2017. Seven studies described OSTE use outside of the traditional medical education context. These new contexts included basic sciences, dental, pharmacy, and Health Professions Education program graduates. Eleven articles described novel OSTE content, which included leadership skills, emotional intelligence, medical ethics, inter-professional conduct, and a procedural OSTE. There is increasing evidence supporting the use of OSTEs for the assessment of clinical educators' teaching skills.

Conclusions: The OSTE is a valuable tool for the improvement and assessment of teaching within a variety of health professions education contexts. Further study is required to determine the impact of OSTEs on teaching behaviors in real-life contexts.

Keywords: OSCE; OSTE; Objective Structured Teaching Encounter; communication skills; feedback; simulation; staff development.