Clinical skills evaluation by telesimulation: an alternative to high-stakes assessment Abstract

Introduction: Professional exam is a theoretical and practical evaluation with high consequences and carried out at the end of medical training. Due to COVID-19 face-to-face exams were suspended. Telesimulation is a strategy that uses telecommunications and simulation resources to create learning and assessment environments at distant sites. In the School of Medicine in Mexico City, a high-consequence exam was carried out by telesimulation to assess clinical skills. Objective: To analyze the correlation between results of the online theoretical phase (National Center for Higher Education Evaluation, CENEVAL carried out) and the practical phase by telesimulation (the School of Medicine carried out). Method: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study. It included students who applied practical and theoretical phases during the 2020 year. Pearson or Spearman correlation and simple linear regression analysis were carried out. Results: 75 students participated. On a scale from 700 to 1300, the theoretical exam score was 1014.62 ± 26.38. On a scale from 0 to 100, the practical exam score was 69.18 ± 13.93. Correlation was 0.70 (p≤0.01, 95% CI 0.50- 0.77). R2 0.43 (p≤0.01). This study showed a moderately high correlation between online theoretical assessment and practical assessment by telesimulation. The theoretical result phase determined 43% of result practical phase result. Conclusions: Using simulation with learning and knowledge technologies has eliminated some barriers derived from social distancing; therefore, it has been possible to assess clinical skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telesimulation is a useful tool to evaluate some dimensions of clinical competence and since it favors measures to contain COVID-19, in the current educational context it can be used in high-consequence exams at the end of medical training.