Assessing medical decision making using human patient simulation.

BACKGROUND This pilot study describes an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) developed using Human Patient Simulation (HPS). METHODS Eight residents completed two iterations of this HPS OSCE containing seven stations and utilizing checklists, global ratings, and scoring sheets. RESULTS The first- and second-year residents scored similarly with mean scores of 64/104 and 62/123, respectively. No statistical difference was noted between the resident scores. CONCLUSIONS The HPS OSCE is feasible for small groups. A larger study will be needed to determine the effectiveness of this tool for evaluation.