Improving optometry student interpersonal skills through online patient, clinician and student evaluation and feedback.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Interpersonal skills are crucial for successful clinician-patient interactions. To prepare future optometrists for clinical practice, pedagogical evaluation is important to support the implementation of new strategies for teaching and evaluating interpersonal skills. BACKGROUND: Optometry students largely develop their interpersonal skills through in-person patient interactions. Telehealth is increasing, yet strategies to develop the interpersonal skills of students for teleconsulting have not been explored. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, effectiveness and perceived usefulness of an online, multisource (patients, clinicians and students) evaluation and feedback program for developing interpersonal skills. METHODS: Via an online teleconferencing platform, optometry students (n = 40) interacted with a volunteer patient, observed by a teaching clinician. Patients and clinicians evaluated the interpersonal skills of the student in two ways: (1) qualitative written feedback, and (2) quantitative rating (Doctors' Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire). All students received written patient and clinician feedback after the session, but not their quantitative ratings. A subset of students (n = 19) completed two sessions, self-ratings, and were provided with their written feedback and an audiovisual recording from their first interaction before completing the second session. All participants were invited to complete an anonymous survey at program completion. RESULTS: Patient and clinician overall interpersonal skills ratings were positively correlated (Spearman's r = 0.35, p = 0.03) and showed moderate agreement (Lin's concordance coefficient = 0.34). Student self-ratings did not match patient ratings (r = 0.01, p = 0.98), whereas there was moderate agreement between clinician and student ratings (Lin's concordance coefficient = 0.30). Ratings improved at the second visit (p = 0.01). Patient ratings were higher than clinicians (p = 0.01) and students (p = 0.03). All participants agreed that the program was feasible, useful and effective at fostering good interpersonal skills. CONCLUSION: Multisource feedback about interpersonal skills contributes to improvement in student performance. Patients and clinicians can evaluate and provide useful feedback to optometry students about their interpersonal skills using online methods.

A digital resource to assess clinical competency.

BACKGROUND: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are integral to clinical competency-based assessment in health care disciplines. Traditional paper-based OSCEs require considerable administration time and students typically receive an assessment outcome with minimal feedback. We developed and implemented an iPad-based OSCE assessment system in optometry that delivered timely and specific e-feedback. METHODS: The electronic assessment system contains all of the features of a paper-based OSCE format, including a checklist score, a global score section and pre-written feedback. It was trialed in a year-3 OSCE assessment. We evaluated students and examiners' perceptions of this digital resource via surveys and focus group interviews. RESULTS: Over 90% of the students reported that the e-feedback was timely, facilitated self-reflection and was appropriate for assessment. Students' focus group interviews highlighted the importance of the timeliness of feedback, and students found both verbal and written feedback useful. All examiners were satisfied with the features of the assessment system and felt confident using it for assessment. DISCUSSION: The iPad-based OSCE assessment system has enabled timely feedback to be delivered efficiently. This study has provided a model of what constitutes good e-feedback. The technology was well received by both students and examiners. It has helped to close the assessment loop by delivering usable and developmental feedback to meet students' learning needs.

Use of an automated feedback application to improve communication skills.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Effective communication skills are a professional competency, yet are often overlooked during training. Providing immediate and constructive feedback is imperative to assist students in developing better communication skills. We sought to evaluate the educational value of using a university-developed application, Rapid Feedback, to provide feedback following students' oral presentations over two years. An online survey comprising of eight 5-point Likert scale items and one open-ended question was conducted in 114 (response rate = 86.5%) students. Students either strongly agreed or agreed that the feedback delivered was timely (98%), relevant (96%), high quality (90%), and specific to enhance their learning (87%). The feedback obtained has helped to identify strengths and weaknesses (87%). Students commented that feedback received will improve their communication skills (90%). The report was also shown to supplement verbal feedback (95%). Overall, students expressed that the feedback report was valuable, allowing for critical self-reflection and future retention. Staff have also found the application easy to use and administer. In a time- and resource-constrained teaching environment, educators constantly explore technology to support student learning and teaching outcomes. We have implemented an application that is user-friendly to staff, efficient, and has provided effective feedback that is well-received and valued by students.

Low vision perspectives on glaucoma.

INTRODUCTION: Glaucoma is one of the major causes of visual impairment, especially in the older population. The aim of this paper is to examine the demographics of patients with glaucoma-induced visual impairment. METHOD: Visual rehabilitation information was analysed for 590 visually impaired patients attending the multi-disciplinary low vision clinic at Kooyong in Melbourne. Data collected included age, subjective assessment of glare, mobility and visual needs, visual acuity (at distance and near), contrast sensitivity, visual field loss or disruption and magnifiers prescribed. An assessment was also made of the patients' psychological status and the members of the multi-disciplinary team involved in their rehabilitation was noted. RESULTS: Glaucoma was the primary cause of visual loss in 8.5 per cent of patients and was a secondary contributor to visual impairment in 5.9 per cent. The mean distance visual acuity was 6/38 and peak contrast sensitivity was 10 dB. Sixty-four per cent of glaucoma patients had magnifiers prescribed to help them achieve their visual needs, which were to read newspapers in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: In the management of low vision patients, it is important to understand the eye disease causing the visual impairment and its effects. The glaucoma sufferer must be treated as a whole person. The psychological state and the need for services such as welfare and mobility training must be considered to enable him or her to enjoy an improved quality of life.