OSCE work

I have been working on my OSCE - and realizing that it is quite an undertaking to try to arrange things so that students don't share what the OSCE is all about. 

I am still waiting to here back about day sheets/encounter forms - but have a little more information from my old school clinic. Our encounter system is computerized - so there isn't really a form that the faculty fill out - it is more or less a series of steps they go through - very similar to when we enter the students' encounter forms in the computer. Students have to enter all the patient information into the computer - patient's chart #, check that patient name is correct, perio classification, deposit level, medications (already there from previous appt - but may need to update). Then, as the faculty checks the student - they are able to enter their comments immediately - on the computer - instead of having to write on paper first. There are computers in every cubicle, as well as docked along the cubicle corridors (for the faculty).

Much like our system here at UMN, students are graded for Assessment, etc. - except all of those areas are included in the number grade (1-5). There is a list a critical errors - and if a student has one critical error, his/her grade drops to a 1 and can't be any higher (no matter how perfect the rest of the appointment is). 

At the end of the appointment, the student enters the patient charges and if the patient is completed, enters a recall appointment month. If the patient is not completed, the student enters as "incomplete" - and the patient is tracked for the student - and rescheduled for completion.

Spring Break flew by...

I have to admit - I took the week off. Even though I packed my OSCE information along with me - I had no time to look at anything (I get carsick trying to look at things in the car). I looked over my OSCE things a bit last night, but have yet to make anything definitive yet. Still working on putting the whole idea together.

Frustrated with Google...

So, last week, in one of our other classes, we had to sign up for a Google account. Not thinking about this blog being associated with Google, I signed up with my school account and thought nothing else about it. It has taken me 3 days to get back into this column because of it. It would only recognize my school address - instead of my yahoo.com email address - and refused to let me into my own column - but now I made it back! I have been working on my OSCE a bit - but mostly just finished up my protocols/procedures. I found a few interesting articles on the history of OSCEs, and have enjoyed reading about the ideas behind them! 

Catching up...

UNC handles continuous care patients much like Kjersta's school - the students are mainly responsible for tracking their own patients. The students have a clinic ID, like the students here, and can use that ID to track everything from how many Class Is, IIs and IIIs they have had to how many broken appointments to how many pedo patients, etc. The computer program is linked to the faculty comments, as well as to the front desk. For a patient assigned to the student - the student can access his/her address, phone #, email, etc. When it comes time for the student to graduate, the student follows up with his/her patients - and the student's patient list is passed to the in coming class of students (except for patients needing for in depth care - those patients are taken over by an upcoming 2nd year student). The patient care coordinator for the students helps with patients who have "disappeared", as well as the front desk.