Twelve tips for OSCE-style Tele-assessment

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) has developed a flexible 'tele-assessment' approach to the delivery of its assessment modalities. Candidates can sit their examination remotely, close to their place of practice, which reduces the need for rural doctors - both candidates and examiners - to leave their communities for the purpose of assessment. A major component of the assessment process is the Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS) examination, which blends the formats of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and a traditional viva vocè examination. It is a high-stakes assessment, that was designed to be academically rigorous, flexible, valid, reliable, and fair. Since 2008 ACRRM has provided a videoconferencing option to candidates for their StAMPS examination allowing them to remain in or near their home location, while the examiners meet a central location. Travel restrictions due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic meant for the first time both candidates AND examiners participated in StAMPS via videoconference. ACRRM conducted an online StAMPS assessment using videoconferencing technology for 65 candidates in mid-May 2020, with all candidates, examiners and support staff remaining in or near their home communities. These Twelve Tips outline some of the experience gained in providing tele-assessment over the past twelve years.

Keywords: high-stakes assessment; rural and remote medicine; technology; tele-assessment.

Figure 1.. Traditional OSCE-style examination.

Figure 2.. Virtual StAMPS examination.