Assessing a doctor you've rarely worked with: The use of workplace-based assessments in a busy inner city emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
Historically, end-of-term assessments for Junior Medical Officers in our ED have been completed by nominated Consultants based on varying amounts of observation in addition to feedback from other health professionals. Our hypothesis is that this system of assessment is both inconsistent and unreliable. Our objective was to increase the validity of our assessment process using workplace-based assessments linked specifically to the domains set out in the Australian Medical Council intern assessment form.


METHODS
Current practice was established using an online survey. Workplace-based assessments were then performed on each junior doctor throughout the course of a term. A repeat survey at the end of term was used to audit the use of the workplace-based assessments and their effect on the adequacy of the assessments.


RESULTS
Almost three quarters of our Consultants used workplace-based assessments as part of their end-of-term assessment. Overall, 80% of Consultants agreed that the Junior Medical Officers assessment process was improved when using workplace-based assessments as an adjunct.


CONCLUSION
Workplace-based assessments improve the validity of end-of-term assessments for junior doctors in an ED as perceived by those performing the assessment.
['Jones|Christopher L|CL|', 'Nanda|Reoch|R|']
D001315:Australia D002983:Clinical Competence D004521:Educational Measurement D004635:Emergency Medicine D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital D006786:Hospitals, Urban D006801:Humans D007396:Internship and Residency D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital D017132:Workplace
workplace-based assessment clinical competence emergency medicine hospital medical staff