Lee P.1, Koseck K.1
1Centennial College, Occupational Therapist Assistant & Physiotherapist Assistant, Scarborough, Canada
Background: With an increase of therapist assistants in provision of rehabilitation services, Canadian colleges continue to play a major role in the design of academic and clinical learning experiences for Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA&PTA) students. Clinical placements are an integral component of experiential learning. To measure students' performance, each college had developed their own evaluation form, using a mix of competencies with a skills checklist. A survey conducted across 13 colleges in 2014, identified that there was a large variation of performance categories and skills evaluated on placements. Preceptors' feedback indicated forms were lengthy and repetitive. The Canadian Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists Assistant Educators' Council (COPEC) identified the need to develop a nation-wide standardized clinical fieldwork evaluation form.
Purpose: To develop a standardized national competency-based OTA&PTA Clinical Fieldwork Evaluation Form that facilitates students' learning and is easy to use.
Methods: A working group of educators (3 Occupational Therapists, 2 Physiotherapists) reviewed the literature and evaluation forms. OTA&PTA competencies were identified using survey data, Accreditation Standards and Canadian OTA and PTA practice profiles. Four key competencies were determined: Professionalism and Accountability, Communication and Collaboration, Treatment Implementation and Organization of Service Delivery. Descriptors of the competencies and a rating scale were developed producing a draft document. June 2015 at the annual COPEC meeting, a pilot version of the form was created and deemed ready for implementation. Feedback was collected from preceptors, students and educators and used when revising the form at the 2016 COPEC meeting. The Canadian OTA and/or PTA Student Fieldwork Evaluation Form has been made available to all colleges.
Results: A standardized competency-based evaluation form was developed for measuring students performance at clinical fieldwork placements. The form was streamlined and competencies were found to be mutually exclusive providing a framework to evaluate students, no matter the area or level of practice. Content validity was established through consensus of educators across Canada.
Conclusion(s): A national competency-based scale can be used to measure students clinical performance, regardless of location, discipline, and placement-specific skills. Preceptors are able to evaluate student performance in a consistent manner across different colleges and levels of placement. The current education provided to students and preceptors will be reviewed and refined to design an educational package to use with the new evaluation form to improve scoring consistency. A feedback survey will be developed to collect data regarding clinical utility from students and preceptors. Competency rating scores could be analyzed to determine if the form measures progression between midterm and final evaluations within a placement, as well as, program progression.
Implications: Completion of a self-assessment by each student prior to meeting with their preceptor provides a mechanism for gaining insight and developing future learning goals. There is the potential for preceptors to use the same evaluation form for all OTA&PTA students at all levels of placement across the country.
Funding acknowledgements: N/A
Topic: Education: methods of teaching & learning
Ethics approval: N/A
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
