Assessment Methods

The provision of feedback to trainees is really important to facilitate the assessment of a trainee’s progress. In recent years the requirement for numbers of cases to be seen under indirect, and later, direct supervision has been augmented with mandatory assessment using a variety of educational tools.

These allow an accredited trainer to assess the trainee's ability to discuss their management strategies for individual cases. A minimum six of these assessments should be performed during the training period.

A method by which the trainee can be assessed on their clinical skills in history taking, communication and organisation. Between 10-12 such assessments should be undertaken during the training period.

There is a series of OSATS for each of the common skills used in colposcopy. These include diagnostic colposcopy in addition to various treatment modalities. The objective of the OSATS assessments is to ensure that the Trainee is progressing and improving and their level of skill is appropriate at each stage for their progress in training. This amount of assessment is burdensome but it is recommended that a minimum of 2 and preferably 3 independent assessors should undertake the above assessments, so should spread the workload. A trainee would be assessed by a minimum of 5 OSATS in each of the clinical techniques in which they wish to be trained. This applies equally for non-medical and medical trainees. For example: A Trainee Nurse Colposcopist would not have to do a knife cone OSATS, and Diagnostic Colposcopy Trainees would only have to complete the minimum of 5 diagnostic colposcopy OSATs.

You will need to upload to the logbook a minimum of 5 OSATS (a minimum of 3 formative + 2 summative) for diagnostic colposcopy and a minimum of 5 OSATS (a minimum of 3 formative + 2 summative) for each clinical technique in which you are to be trained.
The 2 summative OSATS should be assessed by 2 independent Colposcopists one of whom should be a Consultant to confirm competence in the procedure.

Successful completion of the above mentioned assessments is required prior to the trainee applying to sit the OSCE exam. The Accredited Trainer will sign a declaration to this effect on the Form AC3 Registering Satisfactory Completion of Training. In addition the Trainee would still submit their case logbook of patients seen under indirect and direct supervision.