PhD student, Craniofacial Science Program, Department of Oral and Biological Medical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Dental Hygiene Program, School of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Can J Dent Hyg. 2023 Jun 1;57(2):98-108. eCollection 2023 Jun.
In March 2020, COVID-19 public health restrictions impeded in-person clinical assessment. In response, a dental hygiene program administered a virtual objective structured clinical exam (vOSCE) using Zoom to assess student competency in performing a health history. This study aimed to explore the vOSCE experience from both student and clinical instructor perspectives.
This 2-part cross-sectional study gathered student and clinical instructor perceptions of the vOSCE. Forty-two students were invited to complete an online questionnaire. Basic descriptive statistics reporting percentages were tabulated. Twelve clinical instructors were invited to participate in focus groups, which were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Questionnaires were received from 23 (55%) students. Students supported (91%) the vOSCE experience and believed it assessed their knowledge (87%), their ability to complete a health history (91%), and ability to communicate effectively (87%). Students reported high agreement (87%) with how the Zoom platform facilitated the examination. Some students (35%) felt the vOSCE was more stressful than an in-person OSCE. However, 43% indicated it wasn't more stressful. Focus groups with clinical instructors revealed perspectives on using vOSCEs, which were captured under 4 themes: preparation, assessment suitability, authenticity, and future considerations.
Based on student and instructor perspectives, vOSCEs could be a viable alternative to in-person OSCEs for health history evaluations. As technology applications continue to emerge for conducting virtual examinations, there may be increased use of and ease of use with a virtual platform to conduct other types of clinical evaluations.
2020 年 3 月，COVID-19 公共卫生限制阻碍了面对面的临床评估。作为回应，一个牙科保健项目使用 Zoom 管理虚拟客观结构化临床考试（vOSCE），以评估学生进行健康史评估的能力。本研究旨在从学生和临床讲师的角度探讨 vOSCE 的体验。
这项两部分的横断面研究收集了学生和临床讲师对 vOSCE 的看法。邀请了 42 名学生完成在线问卷。报告百分比的基本描述性统计数据被制成表格。邀请了 12 名临床讲师参加焦点小组，小组被录音并逐字记录下来。使用归纳主题分析对定性数据进行分析。
收到了 23 名（55%）学生的问卷。学生们支持（91%）vOSCE 体验，并认为它评估了他们的知识（87%）、完成健康史的能力（91%）和有效沟通的能力（87%）。学生们对 Zoom 平台促进考试的能力高度认同（87%）。一些学生（35%）认为 vOSCE 比面对面的 OSCE 更有压力。然而，43%的人表示不是更有压力。与临床讲师的焦点小组揭示了使用 vOSCE 的观点，这些观点被归纳为 4 个主题：准备、评估适宜性、真实性和未来考虑。
根据学生和教师的观点，vOSCE 可能是健康史评估的替代面对面 OSCE 的可行选择。随着用于进行虚拟考试的技术应用不断涌现，使用虚拟平台进行其他类型的临床评估可能会越来越多，也会越来越容易。
