Empirical analysis comparing the tele-objective structured clinical examination and the in-person assessment in Australia

PURPOSE: It aimed to compare the use of the tele-objective structured clinical examination (teleOSCE) with in-person assessment in high-stakes clinical examination so as to determine the impact of the teleOSCE on the assessment undertaken. Discussion follows regarding what skills and domains can effectively be assessed in a teleOSCE. METHODS: This study is a retrospective observational analysis. It compares the results achieved by final year medical students in their clinical examination, assessed using the teleOSCE in 2020 (n=285), with those who were examined using the traditional in-person format in 2019 (n=280). The study was undertaken at the University of New South Wales, Australia. RESULTS: In the domain of physical examination, students in 2020 scored 0.277 points higher than those in 2019 (mean difference=–0.277, P<0.001, effect size=0.332). Across all other domains, there was no significant difference in mean scores between 2019 and 2020. CONCLUSION: The teleOSCE does not negatively impact assessment in clinical examination in all domains except physical examination. If the teleOSCE is the future of clinical skills examination, assessment of physical examination will require concomitant workplace-based assessment.