Designing and implementing the test objective structured field examination (OSFE) for improving assessment of internship course of anesthesia students

Abstract

Background: One of the main subjects of training and assessing medical science students is to promote their knowledge, attitude, and skills as is too accurately and correctly assess them. Scientific evidence shows that theoretical assessment of students through written and oral exams cannot suffice to determine their skill performance and competence, making it necessary to find a new method. Therefore, we decided to examine internship course in anesthesia through an objective structured field examination (OSFE). The goal was to test clinical skill performance and competence of anesthesia students based on the same criteria, namely, by an instructor's observation of the student's skills and assessment based on pre-designed checklists. Materials and methods: This study enrolled 25 anesthesia students who had completed internship course in the form of a final exam at the Nikookari Teaching Hospital in Tabriz - Iran based on using OSFE method. In this study, data collection tool was skill assessment checklists for skills including identifying the patient and controlling their files, preparing the required equipment for anesthesia, intravenous cannulation, maintenance of anesthesia, endotracheal extubation, recovery room care and patient's discharge from recovery room. By scoring each procedure, the results of the checklists were evaluated and analyzed through qualitative statistical methods. Results: In this study, the mean of the final score was 16.27آ±1.41, and that of the following skills was 18.46آ±1.3 for identifying the patient and controlling their files, 16.67آ±1.4, preparing the equipment for anesthesia, 17.34آ±1.8, endotracheal extubation, 16.00آ±2, maintenance of anesthesia, 17.72آ±1.2, recovery room care, and 14.00آ±1.1 for patient's discharge from recovery room. The university examiner for training program approved the examination as excellent. Moreover, the students were content with this assessment method and assess it as excellent with the mean of 72.43آ±10.18. Conclusion: This examination improved assessment methods of skill performance and competence of anesthesia students by means of the same criteria. We suggest that the above-mentioned method, which is a revised version of OSFE be implemented in other fields of medical sciences.