Zaichner Cohen S.1, Davidow Z.2, Fisher I.3, Greenberg G.4, Bar-Yoav M.5, Oznovich R.5
1Lowenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Physical Therapy, Raanana, Israel, 2University of Haifa, Department of Physical Therapy, Haifa, Israel, 3Ariel University, Department of Physical Therapy, Ariel, Israel, 4Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Physical Therapy, Beer Sheva, Israel, 5Tel Aviv University, Department of Physical Therapy, Tel Aviv, Israel
Background: At the end of the clinical training period the students are asked to fill out an evaluation form. This form rates the clinical training components, the clinical instructor (CI), the learning process and the clinical site. The CIs in the physiotherapy department in Loewenstein rehabilitation hospital found that using the existing evaluation process was problematic due to the lack of uniformity of the evaluation forms between the different universities in Israel, As well as the problematic situation in which the evaluation form was transferred to the university via the CI or the instructor coordinator.
Purpose:
- Creating a national standardization of the evaluation form of the clinical training in physiotherapy.
- Computerizing the evaluation form.
Methods: A team, composed of experts from the clinical field and academic faculties of physiotherapy, created a unified form.
The rating scale of the form was converted from a 4 point scale to a more sensitive 5 point scale.
The inter reliability between the old form and the new form was tested
The intra reliability of the forms was tested to explore whether all items in the form examine the same field of content or the same skill.
The form was computerized and was gradually implemented in all universities.
Results: A correlation was found between the averages of the identical questions in the old and new forms (when both scales were converted to 10 value scales). Cronbach´s alpha test indicated higher reliability between the items in the new questionnaire (0.695) in comparison to the old questionnaire (0.527).
A unified online anonymous questionnaire was created.
Conclusion(s): The standardization process and computerization of the evaluation forms allows supervision over its completion, increases the objectiveness and enables receiving information about the clinical training components. This information is critical for improving and preserving the training system and the learning and development of each of the CIs. In addition, it helps the universities to evaluate the training sites. One needs to remember that the base of this tool is subjective and as such there are also disadvantages. Therefore, it needs to be used wisely.
Implications: A new standard of practice was formed in Israel. Toward the end of the student´s training period a link to the evaluation form is sent to the student´s personal email. The form is filled online, which allows anonymity. About 1000 forms are filled across Israel each year. The forms are quantitatively summarized by the faculties and are sent at the end of the training period to the CI, the CI coordinator in the training site and the head of the physiotherapy department in the training site.
Funding acknowledgements: No funding
Topic: Education: clinical
Ethics approval: Not required
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
