Summative assessments (OSATS) allow trainers to judge a trainees ability to complete a competence based on an observed performance.
Supporting the outcome of an assessment
Written feedback is very important as it justifies the judgement applied in relation to the performance observed.
Feedback should:
- document the amount/nature of help required and complexity of the case in the mandatory free-text feedback box
- identify explicitly how these affected the judgement
- provide the trainee with guidance for future assessment.
Feedback is particularly important following encounters where a judgement of 'working towards competence' in the observed procedure was recorded.
What a successful summative assessment…
…means
- the trainee performed the procedure observed competently.
At least three summative OSATS (unless otherwise specified) confirming competence by more than one assessor (with at least one by a consultant) are required per procedure to fulfil the relevant demonstration of competence requirement in the Training Matrix.
…does NOT mean
- identifying a trainee as competent in one observed procedure is not the same as ‘signing them off’ as competent to perform that procedure in a general sense.