Correlation between a formative WebOSCE and academic performance in medical students

Abstract

Introduction: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is the gold standard for the assessment of clinical competence. With the SARS-CoV-2 virus-related pandemic, there was a rising need of an instrument for the assessment of this competence in distance education.

Objective: We aimed to correlate the clinical competence assessed with a formative WebOSCE, and the academic performance of students who finish the second year of their medical degree.

Method: An observational, correlational study was carried out. The test was applied to the students that completed the second year of the medical degree. The sampling was by census, and an 8-station WebOSCE was developed with a global evaluation scale that contemplates four levels of performance. Psychometric analyzes were performed and the level of clinical competence of the WebOSCE was correlated with academic performance using Spearman’s rho. Feedback was done using an automated post-test program.

Results: 207 students met the study inclusion criteria for analysis. The average WebOSCE score was 74.5, with the following results by attribute: interrogation (70.7), physical examination (74.4), interpretation of lab and imagenology studies (54.2), diagnosis (67.9), treatment (83.0), communication and professionalism (84.5), teamwork (81.2), and clinical integration (67.6). Cronbach’s alpha obtained was 0.89. Spearman’s rho for the correlation of academic performance and the WebOSCE was 0.25 (p<0.001).

Conclusion: The WebOSCE is an instrument with sufficient validity evidence to assess clinical competence dimensions at distance and has a positive correlation with the academic performance of students.