Synthesis and perspectives from the Ottawa 2022 conference on the assessment of competence

Abstract

Introduction

The Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions was first convened in 1985 in Ottawa. Since then, what has become known as the Ottawa conference has been held in various locations around the world every 2 years. It has become an important conference for the community of assessment – including researchers, educators, administrators and leaders – to share contemporary knowledge and develop international standards for assessment in medical and health professions education.

Methods

The Ottawa 2022 conference was held in Lyon, France, in conjunction with the AMEE 2022 conference. A diverse group of international assessment experts were invited to present a symposium at the AMEE conference to summarise key concepts from the Ottawa conference. This paper was developed from that symposium.

Results and discussion

This paper summarises key themes and issues that emerged from the Ottawa 2022 conference. It highlights the importance of the consensus statements and discusses challenges for assessment such as issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion, shifts in emphasis to systems of assessment, implications of ‘big data’ and analytics, and challenges to ensure published research and practice are based on contemporary theories and concepts.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• Ottawa consensus
• OSCE
• systems of assessment
• assessment of competence

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

The first two authors, Katharine Boursicot and Sandra Kemp, contributed equally as the main co-authors of the paper. All other authors are listed in order of contribution.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Katharine Boursicot

Katharine Boursicot, BSc, MBBS, MRCOG, MAHPE, NTF, SFHEA, FRSM, is Director of Health Professional Assessment Consultancy, Singapore. She was the opening plenary speaker at the Ottawa Conference 2022.

Sandra Kemp

Sandra Kemp, BMHS(Ed), MA, PhD, is Deputy Dean, Innovation and Scholarship Medical Education at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Australia.

John Norcini

John Norcini, PhD, is Research Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Upstate Medical University, a Fellow of Presence (a Center at Stanford Medical School) and President Emeritus of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER®).

Vishna Devi Nadarajah

Vishna Devi Nadarajah, BSc, MAHPE, PhD, is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Institutional Development and International, International Medical University, Malaysia.

Susan Humphrey-Murto

Susan Humphrey-Murto, MD, FRCPC, Med, is Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Core Research Unit.

Elize Archer

Elize Archer, BSocSc, BCur (Hons), MPhil in Higher Education, PhD in Health Professions Education, is an associate professor in the Centre for Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Jen Williams

Jennifer Williams, BSC, BA, MBBS, MACE, FACEM, is Faculty Dean of Medicine and Health, University of New England, NSW, Australia.

Eeva Pyörälä

Eeva Pyörälä, PhD, MME, MSocSci, FAMEE, is an Assistant Professor of University Pedagogy at the Center for University Teaching and Learning at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Riitta Möller

Riitta Möller, MD, PhD, is a senior consultant in otolaryngology at Karolinska University Hospital and senior lecturer and associate professor at the Department of Medical epidemiology and biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.