61988
document
Effect of clinical context on simulator-based assessment of blood pressure taking - a pilot randomized study . BACKGROUND Blood pressure measurement is an essential clinical skill that can readily be assessed in objective structured clinical examination ( OSCE ) . While the use of simulators can enhance test validity and reliability , the given clinical context may also affect student performance . AIMS To investigate the impact of variations in clinical context on blood pressure measurement in a simulator-based OSCE . METHOD We randomized 162 first-year medical students into four groups that received different lead-in statements before measuring blood pressure on a manikin simulator . These statements described hypothetical patients with different likelihoods of having systemic hypertension . RESULTS The lead-in that described the highest likelihood of hypertension was associated with significantly higher reported readings and lower accuracy . The lead-in that suggested normality yielded the best performance . CONCLUSION Student performance in simulator-based OSCE may be affected by the clinical context provided . However , we argue that construct validity should be viewed in light of the application of a test , in that patients may also present with different cues and likelihoods of having hypertension . Variations in construct design should be further explored to enhance the training and assessment of clinical competence that reflects the unpredictability encountered in daily clinical practice .
61989
Intervention_Other
simulators
61990
Intervention_Other
simulator-based OSCE
61991
Intervention_Other
manikin simulator
61992
Intervention_Other
simulator-based OSCE
61993
Outcome_Physical
blood pressure
61994
Outcome_Physical
blood pressure
61995
Outcome_Physical
systemic hypertension
61996
Outcome_Physical
likelihood of hypertension
61997
Outcome_Other
reported readings and lower accuracy
61998
Participant_Condition
blood pressure taking
61999
Participant_Sample-size
162
62000
Participant_Age
first-year medical students
62001
Participant_Condition
measuring blood pressure
62002
Participant_Age
Student