A Delphi Consensus Study to identify most valuable assessment tools and to assess anatomy competencies in CBME curriculum

Abstract

Background: Over recent years, wide-ranging changes have occurred in undergraduate medical curricula with reduced hours allocated for teaching anatomy. Anatomy forms the foundation of clinical practice. However, the challenge of acquiring sufficient anatomical knowledge in undergraduate medical education for safe and competent clinical practice remains. Assessment is an essential component of the teaching and learning process and is more important than teaching methods. It is essential to assess anatomy competencies for competent clinical practice. A single tool is not sufficient to assess anatomy competencies, so multiple methods are employed to assess anatomy in Competency based Medical Education (CBME). Aim and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to identify the most appropriate tools to assess anatomy competencies in CBME curriculum. Material and Methods: A modified Delphi technique with three rounds involving twenty renowned anatomists across the country was conducted. Anatomy assessment tools were generated from the opinions of this expert panel in the first round. The relevance of these tools was rated with a five-point Likert scale in the subsequent two rounds to generate consensus. Results: Response rates were 80% for the first round and 100% for the next two rounds. After three Delphi rounds, seven assessment tools were identified as the most valuable following iterations. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide anatomists with the current required essential tools for assessing anatomy competencies of higher-order cognitive domains and psychomotor domains for the CBME curriculum.

Keywords

• anatomy assessment
• competency based medical education
• delphi
• portfolio