Perceptions of Students, Standardized Patients, and Evaluators about a Performance Based Assessment Program

Objectives: To obtain perceptions from students, standardized patients, and faculty evaluators about the initial offering of a performance-based assessment (PBA) program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SIUE-SOP) during the fall 2011 semester. 

Methods: Three surveys were developed, approved by the SIUE institutional review board, and administered to each group of participants directly following their responsibilities on the assessment day. The PBA program required third professional year students to complete three 7-minute Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) stations with a standardized patient. Faculty were responsible for evaluating student performance and communication skills using an analytical checklist and global assessment form, respectively. The surveys consisted of eight Likert-type questions about the process and preparedness of the participant, followed by open ended questions about strengths and weaknesses of the assessment process. 

Results: There was a 100% survey completion rate. About 83% of students agreed that the curriculum at SIUE-SOP prepared them for the material included in the stations. Despite the preparedness, only 57% of students felt confident that they passed the assessment (96% of students actually passed). The faculty evaluators agreed that the training prior to the assessment was adequate; however, only 85% of faculty agreed that they felt confident in their ability to score the students performance with the global assessment form. All of the standardized patients agreed, or strongly agreed, that they received timely communication about the program and were adequately trained. Common comments from all participants suggested that the participants felt the assessment day was well organized, the use of standardized patients made the encounter more realistic, and the patient case scenarios contained commonly encountered problems.

Conclusion: The overall perceptions of the initial Performance-Based Assessment were positive. The constructive feedback on the strengths and weaknesses will be used to improve future PBA programs at SIUE-SOP.