Method and system for managing skills assessment

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and skills assessment tool for managing a testing session in a clinical skills testing center comprising a plurality of assessment stations. The method according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes configuring the plurality of assessment stations by associating each of the stations with a case type prior to the beginning of the testing session, receiving electronic identification of a student at one of a plurality of assessment stations prior to the student commencing an encounter at the one assessment station during the testing session, and, in response to receiving the student's identification, automatically assigning the student to the one assessment station for the encounter, where the encounter corresponds with the case type associated with the one assessment station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of managing sessions being implemented in an assessment facility comprising a plurality of assessment stations to be assigned to a plurality of participants, the method comprising:
 configuring the plurality of assessment stations by associating at least two stations with a first case type and a second case type, respectively, wherein the first case type and the second case type are different case types;   beginning the session comprising receiving an identification of an entity at one of the configured assessment stations prior to the entity commencing the session at said one configured assessment station; and   in response to receiving the identification of the entity, automatically assigning by a computer the entity to said one configured assessment station for the session,   wherein the session corresponds with the case type associated with said one assessment station.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an instruction to begin the session;   automatically recording the session associated with the one assessment station; and   storing the recorded session, which is automatically associated with the entity.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the session comprises performing a medical simulation procedure by a trainee, and wherein the first assessment station further comprise at least one computer operated by the trainee and at least one computer operated by a patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the session comprises performing a medical simulation procedure by a trainee, and wherein the first assessment station further comprise at least one computer operated by a standard patient and outputting data to the trainee for assessment of an ailment of the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: after the session, providing by a computer post session assessment to at least one of the trainee and the patient, and receiving data regarding the post session assessment from the at least one of the trainee and the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: generating evaluation data regarding the assessment by the trainee during the session. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the session comprises a medical simulation procedure and a follow up encounter performed by a trainee, and the first assessment station further comprises at least one computer for assessing an ailment by the trainee during the medical simulation procedure and wherein the trainee via the computer provides feedback of the assessment during the follow up encounter, and wherein both the medical simulation procedure and the follow up encounter are recorded by a monitoring equipment and analyzed to generate an evaluation report for the trainee. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: in response to completing the session, automatically resetting the configured assessment station. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a report summarizing performance by a student based on the received data regarding the session. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the configuring the at least one assessment station comprises:
 displaying a list of the plurality of assessment stations and a floor plan indicating respective location and status of each of the plurality of the assessment stations, at a control station,   receiving a selection of an assessment station from the list of the plurality of assessment stations;   displaying a list of case types for the plurality of assessment stations at the control station;   receiving a selection of a case type from the list of case types;   automatically associating by a computer the selected case type with the selected assessment station;   retrieving data associated with the selected case type; and   providing the retrieved data to the selected assessment station.   
     
     
         11 . A skills assessment system comprising:
 a user interface configured to receive data from an entity which identifies at least two of the plurality of stations as being associated with a first case type and a second case type, respectively, from the plurality of different case types, prior to beginning of a session; and   a controller configured to control the system:
 to retrieve data associated with the respective case type and to provide the retrieved data to the respective assessment station setting up the respective assessment station for the respective case type, 
 in response to receiving an identification of a trainee, to automatically assign the trainee to the respective set up assessment station for the session; 
 to record the session of the assigned trainee at the respective assessment station; 
 to receive an instruction to begin the session; 
 to automatically record the session associated with the first assessment station; and 
 to store the recorded session, which is automatically associated with the entity. 
   
     
     
         12 . A skill assessment system comprising:
 a plurality of assessment stations, wherein each of the plurality of assessment stations comprises at least one input/output device for interacting with at least one entity, and at least one monitoring equipment; and   a central controller coupled to the at least one input/output device and to the at least one monitoring equipment in each of the plurality of assessment stations and comprising an input/output device for an administrator and a skill assessment tool,   wherein the input/output device receives input from an administrator who matches one the plurality of assessment stations with a case type from a plurality of different case types setting up said one assessment station for the case type;   wherein the skill assessment tool, in response to receiving an identification of one of the at least one entity at the set up one assessment station:
 automatically assigns the entity to the set up assessment station by associating information of the entity to the set up assessment station and the case type, and 
 begins a session in response to receiving further input from the entity at the assessment station and records the session by the at least one monitoring equipment at the assessment station, 
   wherein the at least one input/output device receives input from the entity during the session, and   wherein the monitoring equipment for the case type is set up differently from a monitoring equipment for another case type selected from among the different case types.   
     
     
         13 . The skill assessment system of  claim 12 , wherein the monitoring equipment for the case type and the monitoring equipment for another case type comprises an audio recorder and a video recorder and wherein the monitoring equipment for the case type is set up to record sound during the session via the audio recorder and the monitoring equipment for the another case type is set up to record video during the session via the video recorder. 
     
     
         14 . The skill assessment system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one input/output device comprises a first input/output device operated by a first entity from the at least one entity and a second input/output device operated by a second entity from the at least one entity, wherein the first entity is a trainee and the second entity is a standard patient, wherein the first input/output device and the second input/output device operate together during the session and are at the same assessment station. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein for each case type of the different case types, the two configured assessment stations are set up differently. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each of the two configured assessment stations comprises at least one monitoring equipment and at least one computer for user input and wherein the monitoring equipment of the two configured assessment stations are positioned differently. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a first configured assessment station of the two configured assessment stations comprises a medical instrument and a monitoring equipment and wherein the monitoring equipment records output of the medical instrument during the session, and wherein a second configured assessment station of the two configured assessment stations is set up differently from the first configured assessment station such that a monitoring equipment of the second assessment stations records output from a different source then the monitoring equipment in the first configured assessment station.