Assessing Clinical Skills Via Telehealth Objective Standardized Clinical Examination: Feasibility, Acceptability, Comparability, and Educational Value.

In March 2020, students' in-person clinical assessments paused due to COVID-19. The authors adapted the June Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE) to a telehealth OSCE to preserve live faculty observation of students' skills and immediate feedback dialogue between students, standardized patients, and faculty members. The authors assessed students' reactions and comparative performance. OSCE and telehealth educators used draft Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) telehealth competencies to create educational materials and adapt OSCE cases. Students anonymously answered queries about the challenges of the telehealth encounters, confidence in basic telehealth competencies, and educational value of the experience. Cohort-level performance data were compared between the January in-person and June telehealth OSCEs. One hundred sixty students participated in 29 Zoom two-case telehealth OSCEs, equaling 58 h of assessment time. Survey response rate: 59%. Students indicated moderate challenge in adapting physical examinations to the telehealth format and indicated it to be cognitively challenging. Confidence in telehealth competencies was rated "moderate" to "very," but was most pronounced for the technical aspects of telehealth, rather than safety engagement with a patient. Although authors found no significant difference in cohort-level performance in total scores and history-taking between the OSCEs, physical examination and communication scores differed between the two assessments. It was feasible to adapt a standardized OSCE to a telehealth format when in-person clinical skills assessment was impossible. Students rated this necessary innovation positively, and it adequately assessed foundational clinical skills performance. Given future competency needs in telehealth, we suggest several education and training priorities.