Assessment of clinical skills in cardiovascular physiotherapy: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: It is crucial to integrate realistic assessment approaches for cardiovascular physiotherapeutic skills in the professional context. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is notably reliable and valid. However, understanding the student's perception after this experience is important for readjusting the assessment. Objective: To evaluate the strengths and limitations of applying the OSCE to undergraduate students during the Supervised Cardiovascular Physiotherapy Internship. Methods: Descriptive, qualitative, observational, and cross-sectional study. The students were submitted to the OSCE. After completion, a questionnaire was administered to assess their perception, containing seven items: A) General exam organization; B) Clinical vignettes and instructions; C) Adequacy of the tasks required; D) Quality of post-examination explanations; E) Complexity of the content involved, in which the student could assign a grade from 1 to 5 (1 = insufficient; 2 = fair; 3 = good; 4 = great; 5 = excellent); F) Difficulty with time management; and G) Emotional stress. Items F and G were rated: 1 = very low; 2 = low; 3 = moderate; 4 = high; and 5 = very high. Results: Fifty-one students responded to the questionnaire. For items A, B, C, D, and E, the most prevalent response was excellent (72.5%, 43.1%, 52.9%, 88.2%, and 54.9% respectively). Regarding item F, 54.9% of students reported moderate difficulty managing their time. Regarding item G, 94.2% reported a very high level of emotional stress. Conclusion: Application of the OSCE provided experiences of clinical cases with adequate complexity, in an organized manner and with an enriching final evaluation.