Information about the Pilot of Workplace-Based Assessments
In recent years the Royal Colleges of Physicians have promoted the use of workplace-based assessments (DOPS, mini-CEX and multi-source feedback) for trainees, having researched and piloted these techniques. In 2007 all specialties of medicine were required by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) to define assessment strategies to be followed by all trainees entering the new run-through training programmes. For each speciality we now have an integrated assessment system which identifies the appropriate methods to be used to assess curricula competencies. These include combinations of workplace-based assessments, including “new” methods in addition to those mentioned above. Before introducing these new methods the Colleges are piloting them to investigate their reliability (provides reproducible results), validity (measures what it is supposed to) and feasibility in busy working environments.
The Methods to be Piloted
All 29 specialties and sub-specialties of medicine are participating in the project. The following assessment methods will be piloted, though not all of them may be relevant to all specialties. We will try to establish common formats which are acceptable to all or most specialties.
Case Based Discussion
A CbD assesses the performance of a trainee in the assessment and management of a patient to provide an indication of competence in areas such as clinical reasoning, decision-making and application of medical knowledge in relation to patient care.
PLEASE NOTE: The forms on this page can be used by trainees who are not involved in the pilot process, for their own records. If used in this way, it will be necessary to add your name to the documents which currently do not allow a section for recording names due to the need for anonymity.
WPBA Pilot CbD Form
WPBA Pilot CbD Guidance for Assessors
Acute Care Assessment Tool
The ACAT is designed to assess and facilitate feedback on a doctor’s performance during a period practising on the Acute Medical Take. It is intended to help trainees show they are competent in managing the Acute Medical Take by assessing performance in areas such as prioritisation, communication, teamwork, patient assessment and decision-making over the course of a take period.
Form and Guidance under review and will be published here soon.
Audit Assessment
The Audit Assessment is designed to assess a trainee’s ability to conduct an audit by reviewing, against agreed criteria, an audit which the trainee has carried out.
WPBA Pilot Audit Assessment Form
WPBA Pilot Audit Assessment Guidance for Assessors
Patient Survey
The Patient Survey is a method of giving patients the opportunity to give feedback on the performance of a doctor following an out-patient consultation. A number of patients are invited to provide feedback to build up a picture of a doctor’s performance in areas such as communication and professionalism. Forms are available for the pilot project only, please contact the Project Manager.
Teaching Observation
The Teaching Observation is designed to provide a framework for assessors to provide structured feedback to a trainee. It is a formative tool only and does not have a numerical rating scale.
WPBA Pilot Teaching Observation Form
WPBA Pilot Teaching Observation Guidance for Assessors
Local study set up
We will try to include all medical specialties and all regions of the UK in the pilot.
For each specialty and participating hospital/centre there will be a nominated consultant in charge who will be the Local Study Coordinator. The Local Study Coordinator will be responsible for recruiting trainees, informing potential assessors (e.g. consultants, associate specialists, senior trainees) and distributing initial paperwork. Educational Supervisors will be asked to participate in order to provide feedback to the trainee on the Patient Survey outcome. Clearly in small units the Local Study Coordinator, Educational Supervisor and Assessor may often be the same person.
The Local Study Coordinator will give participating trainees a code, so that they remain anonymous to the College. They will then distribute information and paperwork to the trainees – this will also be available to download from www.jrcptb.org.uk. All participants will receive a detailed study handbook.
The trainees will be responsible for initiating all assessments, ensuring all paperwork is completed and returned to the Local Study Coordinator. The Local Study Coordinator will return any completed paperwork to the College in self-addressed/stamped envelopes (SAEs). They will also be the point of contact for the College in the event of any problems, incomplete or unreturned documents. The process for managing the Patient Survey will be different but the details of this are still to be defined.
WPBA Pilot Guidance for Trainees
Timescale
We are aiming to start the pilot in summer 2008 and to allow 6 months for the completion of the assessments. We will then report findings in the early part of 2009.
Contact
For more information or to take part in the pilot contact:
Joe Booth
Education Projects Manager
Education Department
Royal College of Physicians
London NW1 4LE
joe.booth@rcplondon.ac.uk
020 7935 1174 xtn 541
Last updated 24/06/08