Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 4 4 2023 12 01 Different Assessment Tools for Evaluating Objective Structured Clinical Examinations in Medical Education: A Rapid Review 813 823 186574 10.22034/meb.2023.433369.1087 EN Maryam Ajilian Abbasi MSc of Clinical Psychology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0003-4921-976X Amin Hoseini Shavoun PhD in Medical Education, Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 0000-0001-6168-781X Samaneh Movahedinia Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 0000-0003-4236-8463 Hoda Shojaei Pediatrician, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Hoda Ahmari Tehran Assistant Professor in Medical Education, Spiritual Health Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. 0000-0001-7389-6547 Journal Article 2023 12 31 Over the past three decades, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has experienced exponential growth in usage across undergraduate and postgraduate medical examinations worldwide. This review aimed to identify various assessment tools for objective structured clinical examinations and explore their advantages and disadvantages in medical education. The results revealed that while OSCE remains the most well-known test in the objective structured examination family, numerous variations exist. These alternative nomenclatures include OSCA, USNLE, iOSCE, OSATS, OSVE, TOSCE, OSPE, OSLE, and OSTE. Despite the diverse terminology, most variations share fundamental principles, with only OSVE and TOSCE demonstrating significant structural differences from the original OSCE. The review emphasized that each assessment tool possesses unique advantages and limitations, and no single method can provide a comprehensive evaluation of student performance. Consequently, a comprehensive assessment of student abilities requires the longitudinal application of multiple evaluation tools rather than relying on a single examination method.

https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_186574_ec51307f9d25e93492a6d2abf9a41a85.pdf

Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 4 4 2023 12 01 A Literature Review of Group Decision-Making: The Case Study of ‎Delphi Method 824 833 186927 10.22034/meb.2024.433999.1088 EN Farzaneh Barkhordari Ahmadi Mother and Child Welfare Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sceinces, Badar Abas, Iran. Batool Esmaeeli Pediatrician, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Sedigheh Shariat Moghani Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Raheleh Rahimi Fellowship of Pediatric Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Khatereh Shariati Department of Medical Education, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0002-0243-844X Journal Article 2024 01 04 The emergence of complex issues with insufficient information has led to the development of consensus methods, with the Delphi method being a prominent example. This study aimed to review related research to provide a comprehensive understanding of the method's characteristics, goals, implementation process, strengths, and limitations. The research methodology involved searching multiple academic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ERIC, ProQuest, CIVILICA, and Google Scholar, using English and Persian keywords with no time restrictions up to June 2023. A literature review reveals that the Delphi method is employed to systematically collect and synthesize expert opinions to reach a consensus on a specific issue, particularly when experts are geographically dispersed. The method is especially effective for addressing complex topics characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, and limited empirical evidence. The key advantages of the Delphi technique encompass utilizing diverse communication strategies, facilitating comprehensive subject identification and understanding, and mitigating the potential bias and undue influence of individual personalities on collective group perspectives. Despite its methodological robustness, the Delphi method encompasses several significant limitations that researchers must critically evaluate. These challenges include a protracted and resource-intensive process, potential inherent information source biases, risks of expert participant attrition, potential low response rates, participant methodological and topical fatigue, absence of standardized expert selection criteria, ambiguity in consensus definition parameters, and complexities surrounding optimal expert group composition. By meticulously understanding these methodological constraints and proactively developing strategic mitigation approaches, researchers can effectively leverage the Delphi technique to generate sophisticated, multi-dimensional insights and facilitate evidence-based, forward-looking decision-making processes.

https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_186927_7a728f33c5e4b76ce4bcfa632d5f3498.pdf

Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 4 4 2023 12 01 A Reflection on Sequential OSCE in Medical Education 834 837 187033 10.22034/meb.2024.434280.1089 EN Zahra Abdolreza Gharehbagh Department of Medical Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Faculty Member, Department of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2024 01 06 Dear Editor-in-Chief, Practical exams are frequently used in the training and evaluation of medical students. One such exam is the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The OSCE exam is organized objectively in different stations, and examinees are asked to perform specific clinical tasks at each station (1). One limitation of the OSCE exam is its high implementation cost (2). Increasing the number of OSCE stations reduces measurement error and enhances test reliability (3). Conversely, reducing station numbers can help save resources like examiners, patients, or standardized patients (SPs) (4). The sequential OSCE method has been proposed to address cost challenges while maintaining high reliability (5). In this approach, students first participate in a preliminary test with fewer stations. For instance, if the main test typically involves 20 stations, the initial test might include only 10 or fewer stations. By reducing the number of stations, patients, SPs, and examiners, the sequential OSCE method significantly lowers examination costs. Students who do not pass the initial test will participate in a supplemental test, with their total performance across both tests determining their final status (3, 4), equivalent to participating in a single comprehensive exam. Students who successfully pass the initial exam are exempted from the subsequent test, with only their first exam performance being considered (4). In sequential assessment, the results of the first test should accurately predict students' performance in the main test, effectively screening capable learners. Achieving this requires careful consideration of several key points: designing the entire test's blueprint first and then strategically selecting stations for the initial screening test. The screening test must be conceptualized within the comprehensive test's framework and context. Understanding the typical failure rate is crucial, as most similar examinations expect only a small number of students to fail. The screening test should be meticulously designed to minimize both false negatives and false positives (6). False positives occur when students pass the screening exam but are ultimately rejected in the total exam, indicating potential decision-making errors and low test specificity. Since OSCE assesses clinical competence, incorrectly accepting an incompetent student poses a serious threat to patient safety. False negatives represent students who initially fail the test but demonstrate acceptable performance across both tests and are ultimately passed. The number of negative cases is critical: a small number suggests an economical second test, while a large number undermines the primary goal of resource conservation. Ideally, both false positives and false negatives should be minimized, with a particular emphasis on maintaining low false positive rates in the screening test (6, 7).

https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_187033_1046f54c6f4d451f533c195537d54891.pdf

Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 4 4 2023 12 01 Using the Nominal Group Technique in Group Decision-Making: A Review 837 845 187159 10.22034/meb.2024.434656.1090 EN Mohammad Vahedian-Shahroodi Professor of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0002-5402-1646 Azam Mansourzadeh Paris Nanterre University, Paris, France. 0000-0003-2691-7733 Sedigheh Shariat Moghani Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. Masumeh Saeidi Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 0000-0001-5601-9876 Journal Article 2024 01 08 The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is one of the most important and widely used methods for group decision-making. The NGT is a form of brainstorming in which a structured meeting is held among the group members, where they are required to find solutions to the problem identified for the discussion. The NGT includes four steps: generating ideas/brainstorming, recording ideas, discussing ideas, and voting on ideas. As with any technique, there are advantages and disadvantages. The primary advantage of the NGT over other strategies is the enhanced opportunity for all participants to contribute ideas and to minimize the domination of the process by more confident or outspoken individuals. A major disadvantage of NGT is that it lacks flexibility by dealing with only one problem at a time. Also, there must be a certain conformity among the members involved in NGT. The NGT process is particularly useful when many stakeholders have diverse opinions or when the topic is sensitive, and people are reluctant to share their views publicly. However, it is important to note that the NGT is not appropriate for all situations. The ideal size of an NGT group is four to seven participants (participant range: 2 to 20 people per group). Compared to interacting groups, the NGT groups provide more unique ideas, more balanced participation between group members, increased feelings of accomplishment, and greater satisfaction with idea quality and group efficiency. Understanding the different stages of NGT and its benefits and disadvantages helps in using it efficiently in group decision-making processes.

https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_187159_4e50ed1bbb41fadf4fb303f20ad60f68.pdf

Masumeh Saeidi Medical Education Bulletin 2783-1809 4 4 2023 12 01 Effect of Educational Intervention Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on the Intention to Inject the Third Dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Adults 847 861 186167 10.22034/meb.2023.432707.1086 EN Alireza Akhlaghi MSc of Health Education and Promotion, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran. Moslem Sharifi Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran. Soleiman Afroughi Assistant Professor in Biostatics, School of Health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran. Amer Yazdanparast Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. 0000-0001-7307-4420 Sayed Fazel Zinat Motlagh Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran. Journal Article 2023 12 27 Background: With the development of COVID-19 vaccines, experts predicted that COVID-19 will soon be eradicated. However, despite the availability of several types of COVID-19 vaccines, some people refused to receive any. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on the intention to receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among Iranian people aged 18 or older with a history of not receiving the third dose of this vaccine. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted without a control group on 100 people aged 18 years or older who had not received the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bushehr, Iran, in 2022‎. The subjects were selected using the SIB system and available sampling method. The educational intervention included eight training sessions based on the TPB constructs using group discussion and question and answer method along with an educational booklet. Before and two months after the educational intervention, the participants completed a researcher-made questionnaire based on the TPB constructs. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16.0). Results: A total of 100 people aged 18 years or older with a mean age of 36+11.400 participated in this study. The results of paired t-tests showed that the mean scores of constructs of the TPB (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention) of the participants increased after the educational intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion: The educational program designed based on the TPB is useful to change attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention of individuals to receive the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

https://www.medicaleducation-bulletin.ir/article_186167_46a555b3244062e3af3839e6004f4b2b.pdf