A comparison of electronic and paper-based clinical skills assessment: Systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this systematic review was to compare the effectiveness of electronic recording with paper-based recording of clinical skills assessments for entry-level health professional students.

Methods: A comprehensive database search was undertaken using AMED, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science on 12–16 June 2017, and updated 9 April 2018. Studies investigating electronic and paper-based recordings of clinical skills assessments of students in entry-level health professional programs were eligible for inclusion. Two independent researchers completed screening of studies for inclusion, quality assessments, and data extraction, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Quality assessment was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Diagnostic checklist.

Results: From 2264 studies identified, five observational cohort studies were included. Published between 2006 and 2016, included studies investigated electronic and paper examinations of clinical skills assessments of students from medical, dentistry, and physical therapy programs. Electronic assessments were reported to be more time efficient than paper-based assessments with an added advantage of no missing data. Quality and quantity of quantitative and qualitative student feedback increased with electronic assessment compared to paper-based assessments.

Conclusions: Electronic assessments were used successfully across a range of health professional programs, take significantly less time to complete and provide higher quality feedback to students. Future studies are needed with more robust psychometric testing and cost-effective analysis to inform the increasing uptake of electronic assessment tools in health professional training.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

This systematic review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO registration number CRD42017058423. The authors would like to acknowledge that this project was supported by the University of South Australia and Curtin University, although no funding was received for this project.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Glossary

Entry-level degree: A university degree which provides the graduand with competencies for direct transition into the workforce upon completion.

Undergraduate degree: A primary or original university degree.

Post-graduate degree: A second or subsequent degree available following the completion of an undergraduate degree.

As we were unable to procure references for any of the terms, the definitions were constructed upon group discussion and consensus of the study authors based on expert academic knowledge.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anna C. Phillips

Anna C. Phillips, PhD, is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of South Australia. Anna works as a clinical educator and researcher working toward the provision of excellence in clinical education and physiotherapy practice.

Shylie Fordyce Mackintosh

Shylie Fordyce Mackintosh, PhD, is the Head of School at the School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia where she divides her time between teaching, administration, and research. She is interested in both primary research investigating interventions as well as how to translate research evidence into practice.

Carole Gibbs

Carole Gibbs, BA(LIM), BAHons(LIM), is a former Academic Librarian from the University of South Australia.

Leo Ng

Leo Ng, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer and the Director of Learning and Teaching at the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University in Western Australia. Leo's primary research interest lies in clinical research into sports injuries and has an interest in researching strategies to improving learning and teaching in the tertiary education sector.

Caroline Elizabeth Fryer

Caroline Elizabeth Fryer, PhD, is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of South Australia. Caroline is passionate about preparing physiotherapy students for the complexity and challenges of physiotherapy practice in the twenty-first century. Her research focuses on education areas of cultural competency, ethical practice, and evidence-based practice.