Implementation strategy for introducing a clinical skills examination to the Korean Oriental Medicine Licensing Examination: a mixed-method modified Delphi study

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the validity of introducing a clinical skills examination (CSE) to the Korean Oriental Medicine Licensing Examination through a mixed-method modified Delphi study.Methods: A 3-round Delphi study was conducted between September and November 2022. The expert panel comprised 21 oriental medicine education experts who were officially recommended by relevant institutions and organizations. The questionnaires included potential content for the CSE and a detailed implementation strategy. Subcommittees were formed to discuss concerns around the introduction of the CSE, which were collected as open-ended questions. In this study, a 66.7% or greater agreement rate was defined as achieving a consensus.Results: The expert panel’s evaluation of the proposed clinical presentations and basic clinical skills suggested their priorities. Of the 10 items investigated for building a detailed implementation strategy for the introduction of the CSE to the Korean Oriental Medicine Licensing Examination, a consensus was achieved on 9. However, the agreement rate on the timing of the introduction of the CSE was low. Concerns around 4 clinical topics were discussed in the subcommittees, and potential solutions were proposed.Conclusion: This study offers preliminary data and raises some concerns that can be used as a reference while discussing the introduction of the CSE to the Korean Oriental Medicine Licensing Examination.