Reaching Consensus on Measuring Professional Behaviour in Physical Therapy Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Abstract

Purpose: We determined which professional behaviours (PBs) are important and feasible to measure in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) intended to assess the hands-on skills and knowledge of students in a Canadian physical therapy (PT) program. Methods: We used a modified Delphi technique to identify the criteria required to assess PBs in PT students during an OSCE. We conducted a focus group to better understand the results of the modified Delphi process. Results: Experienced local OSCE examiners participated in the modified Delphi panel, which consisted of two rounds of surveys: round 1 (n ¼ 12) and round 2 (n ¼ 10). A total of 31 PBs were reduced to 18 through the two rounds. Five of the panellists participated in the focus group, reduced the 18 PBs to 15, and then identified 4 as clinical skills. Participants categorized the remaining 11 as mixed PBs and clinical skills (1 item), PBs (4 items), or communication skills (6 items). Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence to support the feasibility and importance of evaluating 5 PB items in practical skills OSCEs for entry-to-practice PT students.Key Words: educational measurement; professionalism; students. RÉ SUMÉObjectif : dé terminer les comportements professionnels (CP) qui sont importants et é valuables durant un examen clinique objectif structuré (ECOS) afin d'é valuer les compé tences et les connaissances pratiques des é tudiants d'un programme de physiothé rapie au Canada. Mé thodes : nous avons utilisé une mé thode Delphi modifié e pour cibler les critè res requis pour é valuer les CP des é tudiants en physiothé rapie durant un ECOS. Nous avons mené un groupe de discussion pour mieux comprendre les ré sultats du processus Delphi modifié . Ré sultats : des examinateurs ECOS expé rimenté s locaux ont participé au groupe d'experts sur la mé thode Delphi modifié e, qui consistait en deux rondes de sondages : ronde 1 (n ¼ 12) et ronde 2 (n ¼ 10). Un total de 31 CP ont é té ré duits à 18 au cours des deux rondes. Cinq des experts ont participé au groupe de discussion et ont ré duit les 18 CP à 15, puis en ont ciblé quatre comme é tant des compé tences cliniques. Les participants ont caté gorisé les 11 CP restants comme é tant des compé tences cliniques et des CP mixtes (un é lé ment), des CP (quatre é lé ments) ou des compé tences en communication (six é lé ments). Conclusion : cette é tude fournit des donné es probantes pré liminaires pour appuyer la faisabilité et l'importance d'é valuer cinq CP faisant partie des compé tences pratiques de l'ECOS né cessaires à l'admissibilité à la pratique des é tudiants en physiothé rapie.Teaching and assessing professionalism have become highly valued in health care education over the past 25 years.

Evaluation of a new e‐learning resource for calibrating OSCE examiners on the use of rating scales

“…The majority of literature reviewed on the use of rating scales concentrates mainly on communication skills, professional behaviours and consultation skills . This would explain why the scores that our examiners gave for the practical station (rubber dam) were so dissimilar.…”

Objective structured clinical examination in physiotherapy teaching: a systematic review

“…A fast increase in the number of newly graduate physiotherapists has also been observed, who are usually inserted in the labor market with very little experience in clinical environments [43]. In a complementary way, Davies et al [44] pointed out that students in the rehabilitation area reported that many times they are not really sure of what is expected from them concerning their clinical skills and competences. Regulating agencies such as the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Federal and Regional Councils, in their Ethics and Deontology Codes, provide basic norms, regulations and conducts linked to the fundamental beliefs or values of the profession, which are undertaken through the professional socialization that one student experiences when taking part in an environment of practice [44,45].…”

“…In a complementary way, Davies et al [44] pointed out that students in the rehabilitation area reported that many times they are not really sure of what is expected from them concerning their clinical skills and competences. Regulating agencies such as the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Federal and Regional Councils, in their Ethics and Deontology Codes, provide basic norms, regulations and conducts linked to the fundamental beliefs or values of the profession, which are undertaken through the professional socialization that one student experiences when taking part in an environment of practice [44,45]. Thus, the evaluation of skills and competences, both in the academic and clinical environments, should emphasize the estimated value of these behaviors [44].…”

“…Regulating agencies such as the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Federal and Regional Councils, in their Ethics and Deontology Codes, provide basic norms, regulations and conducts linked to the fundamental beliefs or values of the profession, which are undertaken through the professional socialization that one student experiences when taking part in an environment of practice [44,45]. Thus, the evaluation of skills and competences, both in the academic and clinical environments, should emphasize the estimated value of these behaviors [44]. The information provided before and the feedback of the clinical training should allow the students to recognize subjectively their clinical skills and to develop learning plans to improve their knowledge, behaviors and skills step by step [43,45].…”

Relationships between motives to become a physical therapist, delayed graduation, and perceptions of school and internship learning among physical therapy students

“…Furthermore, the importance to students of gaining clinical competency during internship has already been pointed out in various studies 9 , 10 , 11 ) . In addition to this competency, professionalism 12 , 13 , 14 ) as a physical therapist, including the motive for becoming one, should be carefully considered for effective internship.…”