Assessment Of Medical Students Research Articles

Assessment of Medical Students’ Knowledge of Migraine Headaches in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aims: Migraine is a common neurological disease with frequent episodes that may impact the social, mental, and physical dimensions. This study aims to determine medical students’ knowledge of migraines in the western region of Saudi Arabia, which may help decrease misdiagnosis and referral to secondary healthcare facilities. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnaire. A total of 628 medical students in Makkah, Jeddah, Al-Taif, and Medina were involved in the investigation in November 2021. The questionnaire addressed their knowledge of diagnosis and treatment options. Results: More than half of the participants were men (60.5%). The academic level was approximately equal among the participants (61.5% were in their pre-clinical years). Only 20.4% of the students had a good knowledge of migraine diagnosis and 20.1% had good knowledge of headache treatment. A good knowledge level was detected among 33.8% of the students aged 24 years or more compared with 4.7% of those aged 18–19 years (P-value: .001). In addition, students in their clinical years had better knowledge compared with those in their pre-clinical years (P-value: 0.001). Students exposed to any patients with migraines at medical school had a good knowledge level compared with those who did not. A good knowledge level was detected among 40.1% of the students who participated in any course on migraine headaches compared with 11.9% of those who had never participated. Conclusions: Medical students in the western region of Saudi Arabia have low knowledge of migraines. We recommend students be exposed to high-quality sources of information.

Entrustable professional activities in undergraduate medical education: A needs assessment of medical students and faculty

Entrustable professional activities in undergraduate medical education: A needs assessment of medical students and faculty

Integrating climate change and health topics into the medical curriculum - a quantitative needs assessment of medical students at Heidelberg University in Germany.

Climate change (CC) is of major importance for physicians as they are directly confronted with changing disease patterns, work in a greenhouse gas intensive sector and can be potential advocates for healthy people on a healthy planet. We assessed third to fifth year medical students' needs to support the integration of CC topics into medical curricula. A questionnaire with 54 single choice-based items was newly designed with the following sections: role perception, knowledge test, learning needs, preference of educational strategies and demographic characteristics. It was administered online to students at Heidelberg medical faculty. Data sets were used for descriptive statistics and regression modelling. 72.4% of students (N=170, 56.2% female, 76% aged 20-24 years) (strongly) agreed that physicians carry a responsibility to address CC in their work setting while only 4.7% (strongly) agreed that their current medical training had given them enough skills to do so. Knowledge was high in the area of CC, health impacts of CC, vulnerabilities and adaptation (70.1% correct answers). Knowledge gaps were greatest for health co-benefits and climate-friendly healthcare (55.5% and 16.7% of correct answers, respectively). 79.4% wanted to see CC and health included in the medical curriculum with a preference for integration into existing mandatory courses. A multilinear regression model with factors age, gender, semester, aspired work setting, political leaning, role perception and knowledge explained 45.9% of variance for learning needs. The presented results encourage the integration of CC and health topics including health co-benefits and climate-friendly healthcare, as well as respective professional role development into existing mandatory courses of the medical curriculum.

Development and Effectiveness of a Rater Training Curriculum for Evaluating Student Medical Spanish Oral Proficiency Using the Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix

To improve language-concordant, equitable healthcare for Spanish speakers, many United States medical schools offer medical Spanish education. However, there is no clinically contextualized, standardized approach to medical student language assessment. This article reports on the development and effectiveness of a training curriculum to prepare raters to use a new rubric, the Physician Oral Language Observation Matrix (POLOM), to reliably rate medical student Spanish oral proficiency after observing videorecorded encounters between students and standardized patients. Curriculum effectiveness was primarily evaluated by examining each rater trainee’s level of agreement with expert consensus POLOM ratings (i.e., inter-rater reliability as measured by the generalizability theory dependability coefficient). Out of the study’s nine rater trainees, who were from either medical or linguistic professional backgrounds, five proceeded to the calibration phase, and four attained the reliability threshold required for calibration. The paper concludes that this rater training curriculum can successfully train raters to use the POLOM reliably when evaluating medical student Spanish oral proficiency during videorecorded healthcare encounters. To allow for improved assessment of student language skills prior to use in patient care, future efforts should focus on POLOM validity assessment and larger scale rater recruitment, training, calibration, and maintenance.

Scope of Portfolio in Medical Training

The introduction of competency-based medical education has brought about a paradigm shift in the delivery of medical education in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. A portfolio can be regarded as an instrument that can be employed for the storage of learning on a day-to-day basis and for recording the self-reflection by the students. As a matter of fact, the compilation of learning from different sessions gives an opportunity for the students to look back, analyze the overall process and thus reflect on the same, and this process plays a crucial role in ensuring deep learning. At the same time, the compiled information is being used for making evidence-based and well-informed decisions about the overall progress of the student. Further, we also cannot ignore the fact that a well-maintained portfolio can be looked on as one of the indicators of the quality assurance processes employed in an institution. To conclude, portfolios in the field of medical education are an important option to ensure learning and even promote the assessment of medical students. The need of the hour is that every medical institution should look to implement the same in their own settings and help the students in their journey to become competent.

Academic assessment of medical students in COVID-19 lockdown: Deciphering institutional readiness index

Introduction: The sudden closure of medical institutions all over the country due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic mandated the medical institutions to quickly adapt to the online virtual classroom and online assessment. This study was conducted to assess the readiness of online assessment among the medical students and faculty of the institute and to identify the predictors of online theory assessment. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among medical students and faculty of AIIMS Mangalagiri. A prevalidated and pretested questionnaire with 14 items were assigned through Google Forms to the students and faculty and were asked to provide a response on a 5-point Likert scale for each item ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” separately. The nonparametric data collected from the total 112 respondents were analyzed for validity and reliability of the questionnaire, mean values to know the readiness (M = 3.4), and one-step multiple regression to know the predictors. Results: The response rate of the questionnaire was 74% (n = 112). The mean value for attitudinal readiness (AR) is calculated as 3.13 and the mean for material and technological readiness (MTR) is found to be 2.7. AR and MTR were found to be significant predictors of readiness for online assessment (P < 0.05). AR (beta coefficient 0.471) was found to be the most significant predictor than MTR (beta coefficient 0.255). Conclusion: The frequencies of responses are variable for different questionnaire items. The online theory assessment readiness score can be improved with formal training and unfolding to the online assessment.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Internal Medicine Residency Assessments

Previous studies have demonstrated racial and ethnic inequities in medical student assessments, awards, and faculty promotions at academic medical centers. Few data exist about similar racial and ethnic disparities at the level of graduate medical education. To examine the association between race and ethnicity and performance assessments among a national cohort of internal medicine residents. This retrospective cohort study evaluated assessments of performance for 9026 internal medicine residents from the graduating classes of 2016 and 2017 at Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited internal medicine residency programs in the US. Analyses were conducted between July 1, 2020, and June 31, 2022. The primary outcome was midyear and year-end total ACGME Milestone scores for underrepresented in medicine (URiM [Hispanic only; non-Hispanic American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander only; or non-Hispanic Black/African American]) and Asian residents compared with White residents as determined by their Clinical Competency Committees and residency program directors. Differences in scores between Asian and URiM residents compared with White residents were also compared for each of the 6 competency domains as supportive outcomes. The study cohort included 9026 residents from 305 internal medicine residency programs. Of these residents, 3994 (44.2%) were female, 3258 (36.1%) were Asian, 1216 (13.5%) were URiM, and 4552 (50.4%) were White. In the fully adjusted model, no difference was found in the initial midyear total Milestone scores between URiM and White residents, but there was a difference between Asian and White residents, which favored White residents (mean [SD] difference in scores for Asian residents: -1.27 [0.38]; P < .001). In the second year of training, White residents received increasingly higher scores relative to URiM and Asian residents. These racial disparities peaked in postgraduate year (PGY) 2 (mean [SD] difference in scores for URiM residents, -2.54 [0.38]; P < .001; mean [SD] difference in scores for Asian residents, -1.9 [0.27]; P < .001). By the final year 3 assessment, the gap between White and Asian and URiM residents' scores narrowed, and no racial or ethnic differences were found. Trends in racial and ethnic differences among the 6 competency domains mirrored total Milestone scores, with differences peaking in PGY2 and then decreasing in PGY3 such that parity in assessment was reached in all competency domains by the end of training. In this cohort study, URiM and Asian internal medicine residents received lower ratings on performance assessments than their White peers during the first and second years of training, which may reflect racial bias in assessment. This disparity in assessment may limit opportunities for physicians from minoritized racial and ethnic groups and hinder physician workforce diversity.

Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of graduating medical students towards sexual health in Lebanon.

To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of graduating medical students in Lebanon regarding sexual health, as well as their readiness to learn about it, and to determine the demographic and educational factors that influence our findings. Cross-sectional study. A self-designed questionnaire exploring various components of sexual health was sent to 578 graduating medical students in Lebanon. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were computed and analyzed. The overall mean knowledge score was relatively low (2.61, range -13 to 10). A statistically significant difference was found in the mean knowledge score across religion (P= 0.028) and religiosity (P< 0.001) categories. The mean practice score also differed significantly across income groups (P= 0.010). No other significant associations were found between gender, sexuality, environment, primary source of sexual health education, or language and the mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores. Additional standardized assessment of medical students' competences in sexual health matters through diverse research models is needed. Re-examination of existing medical curricula and inclusion of more extensive sexual health education is necessary to improve patient care.

A critical look at ideas, concerns and expectations in clinical communication.

For medical students and doctors, capturing the patient's perspective is critical if the consultation is to be meaningful for both parties. Medical students are taught the import of this in their communication skills training aided by inquiring into the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations (ICE) during the consultation. Ensuring the effectiveness of those inquiries can be a challenge for different reasons. Yet apart from a handful of papers on the subject, there is little guidance on the efficacy of ICE as a communication technique and specifically how to successfully blend questions about ICE within the interaction between doctor and patient. This paper takes a closer look at this communication technique and explores some of the interactional features of inquiries into ICE. First, the background to ICE and its emergence within the field of medical education is considered. Next the argument considers some of the contextual and pedagogical issues that inquiries intoICE gives rise to. The discussion then goes on to explore some conceptual underpinnings drawing on findings from Conversation Analysis, which provide some direction in approaching questions about what the patient thinks. Finally, the implications of the argument presented are considered in relation to the teaching and assessment of medical students with a short proposal for next steps. Capturing the patient's perspective through an exploration of their ideas, concerns and expectations remains a valuable approach in communication skills training in medical education. It is important, however, that ICE type inquiries are used carefully and responsively if they are to be used to improve communication with patients.

Assessment of Male Medical Students' Knowledge and Attitudes About Prostate Cancer and Screening at the University of Khartoum

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer among men in Sudan. It was ranked fourth among all cancer treatment centers in Khartoum. This study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude toward PC among male medical students in their final and semifinal years at the University of Khartoum. Methods and Results: A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted at the University of Khartoum (Faculty of Medicine) on semifinal and final-year male medical students from March 2022 until May 2022. Data were collected from medical students, using a standardized, pretested, coded questionnaire that contained close-ended questions. The questionnaire was distributed online to the medical students using Google Forms. Knowledge levels were determined using 10 questions on risk factors, signs and symptoms, prevention, treatment, and complications of PC. A total of 131 participants received questionnaires, and the response rate was 100%. The results are presented in chronological order in the way they were analyzed, starting with sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, sources of information on PC, knowledge levels (low, medium, and high) of PC, and attitude levels (positive, negative) relating to the year of study. All medical students in the last 2 years have heard about PC, and medical students overwhelmingly (88.5%) believe that early detection of PC through screening improves survival. Almost all the respondents in our study indicated their willingness to go for PC screening (87.8%), and the rest of the respondents’ attitudes about the importance of PC and treatment were positive. Conclusion: Most students have sufficient knowledge about prostate cancer, its risk factors, complications, and treatment. Medical students are an important population in studying the determinants of screening for prostate cancer.

Objective Structured Clinical Examination as A Reliable tool in the Summative Evaluation of Final Year Medical Students at Enugu State University College of Medicine

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a reliable, objective and reproducible method of summative assessment of clinical competence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of OSCE for summative evaluation of final year medical students in both Internal Medicine and Surgery. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of summative assessment of final-year medical students in Internal Medicine and Surgery at College of Medicine, Enugu State University of Science and Technology. The students’ clinical competence was tested by OSCE. The OSCE consisted of two parts. The A part (picture OSCE, replacing traditional short cases) in which questions were given to students from slide shows. The B part (clinical OSCE, replacing traditional long case) consisted of clinical OSCE stations to test students’ ability and skills in history taking, physical examination, counselling/communication skills, ability to make diagnosis, interpretation of laboratory/radiological results and ability to manage common medical emergencies and conditions. The students' scores in the picture OSCE, clinical OSCE, and final total clinical score scores in both Internal Medicine and Surgery were collated and subjected to analysis with SPSS version 25 (IBM; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Correlation was assessed by Pearson correlation, mean scores compared with paired t-test, reliability assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha. Statistical significance was considered as p &lt;0.05. A total of 120 students sat for the examinations. There were significant positive correlations between students’ score in Surgery clinical OSCE and Internal Medicine clinical OSCE, r =0.617 (p=0.000); students’ scores in Surgery picture OSCE and Internal Medicine Picture OSCE, r=0.647 (p=0.000); and students’ scores in Surgery clinical examinations and Internal Medicine clinical examinations, r= 0.750 (p=0.000). The reliability of Surgery clinical examinations was 0.851 while the reliability of Internal Medicine clinical examinations was 0.816. OSCE is a more reliable tool than traditional method for the summative assessment of final year medical students. OSCE gives a higher correlation coefficient and Cronbach alpha than the traditional method of assessment.

EPMO: A novel medical student assessment tool that integrates entrustable professional activities, prime, and the modified Ottawa coactivity scale

Purpose Alignment of workplace-based assessments (WPBA) with core entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for entering residency may provide opportunities to monitor student progress across the continuum of undergraduate medical education. Core EPAs, however, reflect tasks of varying degrees of difficulty and faculty assessors are not accustomed to rating students based on entrustability. Expectations of student progress should vary depending on the complexity of the tasks associated with the EPAs. An assessment tool that orients evaluators to the developmental progression of specific EPA tasks will be critical to fairly evaluate learners. Methods The authors developed an EPA assessment tool combining the frameworks of Professionalism, Reporter, Interpreter, Manager, Educator (PRIME), and Modified Ottawa coactivity scales. Only those EPAs that could be repeatedly observed and assessed across clinical clerkships were included. From July 2019 to March 2020, third-year medical students across multiple clerkships were assessed using this tool. The authors hypothesized that if the tool was applied correctly, ratings of learner independence would be lower with higher complexity tasks and that such ratings would increase over the course of year with ongoing clinical learning. Results Assessment data for 247 medical students were similar across clerkships suggesting that evaluators in diverse clinical contexts were able to use this tool to assign scores reflective of developing entrustability in the workplace. Faculty rated student entrustability highest in skills emphasized in the pre-clerkship curriculum (professionalism and reporter) and progressively lower in more advanced skills (interpreter and manager). Students’ ratings increased over time with more clinical exposure. Conclusions The authors developed a composite WBPA tool that combines the frameworks of EPAs, PRIME, and Modified Ottawa Co- Activity and demonstrated the usability of applying it for learner assessments in clinical settings. Further multicenter studies with cohorts of pre- and post-clerkship students may provide additional validity evidence for the tool.

Automated Assessment of Medical Students' Competency-Based Performance Using Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Automated Assessment of Medical Students' Competency-Based Performance Using Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Implications of introducing case based radiological images in anatomy on teaching, learning and assessment of medical students: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundIntroducing radiological anatomy in the preclinical curriculum can increase the understanding of Anatomy. Regardless of the integration when teaching anatomy, it is essential to maintain oversight as to what and how much is being taught. In addition, the knowledge requirements for preclinical students should be considered. The purpose of this kind of integration is that the student should be able to apply the knowledge which can help them better understand anatomy and not to make the course more challenging. This study aimed to understand whether adding radiological images would increase the difficulty level of the questions.MethodsWe introduced radiological images, including X Rays, CT scans and MRIs, when teaching anatomy in the preclinical curriculum. A class of 99 students were tested using A-type MCQs (n = 84). All 84 questions were categorized on whether they were case-based with or without a radiological image. The item analysis of both groups of test questions was then compared based on their difficulty and discrimination index. A qualitative student perception regarding the inclusion of radiological images in anatomy was also measured using a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale.ResultsThe results showed that the performance level of the students was similar when comparing the test questions in both groups. The item analysis of the MCQs in the two groups revealed that by integrating radiological images when teaching anatomy, the various parameters in both groups of test questions were in the same range. More than 80% of the students felt that radiological images facilitate the achievement of learning outcomes and help to apply their knowledge in clinical contexts. The study's findings reported that the rate of satisfaction by including radiological images when teaching anatomy is high.ConclusionRecognition and interpretation of images are essential in an undergraduate medical program. Students found it helpful when radiological images were introduced to them when teaching anatomy. Since the students' performance in summative exams in both groups of questions was in the same range, the findings also point out that adding radiological images when teaching anatomy does not increase the difficulty of the subject.

Correlation of Narrative Evaluations to Clerkship Grades Using Statistical Sentiment Analysis.

Narrative evaluations are essential components of medical student assessment. This study evaluated how well narrative clerkship evaluation word choice correlated with an assigned letter grade. One hundred clerkship evaluations, 50 from family medicine (FM) and 50 from internal medicine (IM), with even distribution of "Honors" and "Near-Honors" among medical students that graduated in 2020 from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) were examined. A textual sentiment analysis, which evaluates positive and negative word choice, was used to determine each evaluation's collective sentiment. An average sentiment score and character count were calculated for Honors and Near-Honors evaluations from both clerkship disciplines. Sentiment word totals were used to form "word clouds" that highlight the most frequent word selections. While sentiment scores positively correlated with the assigned grade, there was no statistically significant difference between the average sentiment scores among Honors and Near Honors graded evaluations within the FM or IM clerkship evaluation sets. There was no significant difference in evaluation character length among the assigned grades. Among FM evaluations, "outstanding" and "excellent" were the two most common sentiment words used in both Honors and Near-Honors. Among IM evaluations, outstanding and excellent were most commonly used in Honors evaluations, while "excellent" and "good" were most common in Near-Honors. This study outlines a novel text analysis method for analyzing narrative evaluation association with assigned grade that other institutions can utilize. Sentiment word choices are not significantly different among Honors and Near Honors clerkship narrative evaluations. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01654-2.

Assessing the Factors That Influence Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Working With Medically Underserved Populations.

The needs of medically-underserved populations (MUPs) are consistently outpacing the number of physicians caring for them. Medical students' motivations toward working with MUPs consistently decline as they progress through medical school. Given the shortage of doctors caring for MUPs, the objective of our study was to further investigate factors that influence medical students' motivation to work with MUPs while they progress through their education. By identifying these elements, we hope to recommend identified factors within medical education that support the development of more physicians who care for MUPs. This cross-sectional study is an assessment of medical students at the University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School (UTSW). The study utilized the Medical Student Attitudes Toward the Underserved (MSATU), a validated survey that assesses medical student motivations toward the provision of medical care to MUPs. Surveys were administered at three time points selected to represent key transition points in medical education. There was no significant difference between MSATU scores among the three time points. MSATU scores were higher among students who identified as female, had higher empathy, had higher value placed on teamwork, and had higher community-centeredness. MSATU scores were also higher among students planning to specialize in primary care compared to students planning to specialize in a non-primary care field (P=.239). This study identifies factors associated with high MSATU scores within UTSW medical education, including female identification, higher empathy score, higher emphasis on teamwork, higher community-centeredness, and plans to practice primary care. Additionally, the results support maintenance of MSATU scores across all three time points. Future research should examine individual-level data to determine whether individual students are maintaining their MSATU scores or if individual fluctuations are neutralized by group changes.

Development and Use of an Induction of General Endotracheal Anesthesia Checklist Assessment for Medical Students in a Clinical Setting During Their Introductory Anesthesiology Clerkship.

The American Association of Medical Colleges deemed performing lifesaving procedures, such as airway management, a necessary medical student competency for transitioning to residency. Anesthesiology clerkships provide the unique opportunity for medical students to practice these procedures in a safe and controlled environment. We aimed to develop a checklist that assesses medical students' ability to perform the main steps of a general anesthesia induction with endotracheal intubation in the clinical setting. We created a Checklist containing items aligned with our clerkship objectives. We modified it after receiving feedback and trialing it in the clinical setting. Medical students were evaluated with the Checklist using a pre- and post-clerkship study design: (1) in a simulation setting at the beginning of the clerkship; and (2) in the operating room at the end of the clerkship. Using paired t-tests, we calculated pre- and post-clerkship Checklist scores to determine curriculum efficacy. A P value of <.05 was determined to be statistically significant. We examined rater agreement between overall scores with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Thirty medical students participated in the study. The ICC for agreement was 0.875 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.704-0.944). The ICC for consistency was 0.897 (95% CI, 0.795-0.950). There was a statistically significant improvement in the score from baseline to final evaluation of 3.6 points (95% CI, 2.5-5.2; P = .001). The statistically significant change in Checklist scores suggests that our medical students gained knowledge and experience during the introductory clerkship inducing general anesthesia and were able to demonstrate their knowledge in a clinical environment.

Increasing Medical Student Involvement in Research: Military Ob/Gyn HeadHunters.

Our goal was to develop a successful research collaboration program, Military Ob/Gyn HeadHunters, to connect military medical students with residents, fellows, and staff physicians across the Military Health System (MHS) to foster research collaboration and mentorship. We conducted a needs assessment of medical students from the Uniformed Services University and Health Professions Scholarship Program as well as staff physicians, residents, and fellows practicing in the MHS to better understand the barriers to initiating and conducting research within the MHS. We used the survey results to create a secure online spreadsheet to match medical students to researchers recruiting student researchers. A follow-up survey was sent to all respondents 3 months after the program launch to evaluate the program. Of the medical students who completed the needs assessment, 82.56% (n = 71/86) reported barriers in participating in research. The most common barrier was "I don't know where to look for research opportunities." Of the staff surveyed, 88.24% (n = 15/17) indicated that they were interested in medical student involvement in their research. However, 53.33% (n = 8/15) of the surveyed staff reported that they did not know any students who would be good candidates. Since the launch in April 2021, our 3-month follow-up survey had a response rate of 40.00% (n = 6/15) for staff and 47.06% (n = 32/68) for students. Hundred percent (n = 6/6) of faculty advertising projects recruited at least one student to join their project. 85.71% (n = 12/14) of students actively seeking participation joined a research team. Our novel research collaboration program successfully connected military medical students with active researchers in the MHS. Leaders in medical education can consider adopting this framework to improve trainee participation in research.

The use of mixed reality technology for the objective assessment of clinical skills: a validation study

BackgroundMixed Reality technology may provide many advantages over traditional teaching methods. Despite its potential, the technology has yet to be used for the formal assessment of clinical competency. This study sought to collect validity evidence and assess the feasibility of using the HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset for the conduct and augmentation of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted to compare the assessment of undergraduate medical students undertaking OSCEs via HoloLens 2 live (HLL) and recorded (HLR), and gold-standard in-person (IP) methods. An augmented mixed reality scenario was also assessed.ResultsThirteen undergraduate participants completed a total of 65 OSCE stations. Overall inter-modality correlation was 0.81 (p = 0.01), 0.98 (p = 0.01) and 0.82 (p = 0.01) for IP vs. HLL, HLL vs. HLR and IP vs. HLR respectively. Skill based correlations for IP vs. HLR were assessed for history taking (0.82, p = 0.01), clinical examination (0.81, p = 0.01), procedural (0.88, p = 0.01) and clinical skills (0.92, p = 0.01), and assessment of a virtual mixed reality patient (0.74, p = 0.01). The HoloLens device was deemed to be usable and practical (Standard Usability Scale (SUS) score = 51.5), and the technology was thought to deliver greater flexibility and convenience, and have the potential to expand and enhance assessment opportunities.ConclusionsHoloLens 2 is comparable to traditional in-person examination of undergraduate medical students for both live and recorded assessments, and therefore is a valid and robust method for objectively assessing performance. The technology is in its infancy, and users need to develop confidence in its usability and reliability as an assessment tool. However, the potential to integrate additional functionality including holographic content, automated tracking and data analysis, and to facilitate remote assessment may allow the technology to enhance, expand and standardise examinations across a range of educational contexts.

A clinical skills dashboard for medical student assessment.

A clinical skills dashboard for medical student assessment.