Evaluation of the Utility of Online Objective Structured Clinical Examination Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to profound restrictions on the face-to-face learning and assessment in all educational institutions, particularly the medical schools. The College of Medicine and Medical Sciences of the Arabian Gulf University (CMMS-AGU) conducted the final exams, both theoretical and clinical components, for its MD students online. This study was conducted to evaluate the utility of online clinical exams held at CMMS-AGU. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, mixed method study that included samples from final year medical students, examiners, and heads of clinical departments. Data were collected through surveys, structured interviews, documents' review, and calculation of online examination's psychometrics. Descriptive statistics were used. Quantitative data were presented in the form of means and standard deviations. Responses of heads of clinical departments in the structured interview were transcribed and analyzed thematically based on three pre-established themes. Results: Quantitative and qualitative data on the utility (validity, reliability, acceptability, educational impact, and cost and feasibility) of online objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) were collected. Content validity of the online clinical examination was established through high mean scores of content representativeness, which was confirmed by the heads of clinical departments regarding the proper coverage of clinical skills. Criterion validity was established through a high correlation between clinical and theoretical exam results (r = 0.75). Reliability of the exam was established through an acceptable Cronbach's alpha value (0.70 to 0.78) over the four days of the examinations. The examinations were perceived as highly acceptable by both students and examiners. High educational impact was inferred from students' responses and review of documents. The examination was found to be feasible and of reasonable cost. Conclusion: Online OSCE might be a good alternative of conventional clinical assessments in times of crises and impossibility of having in-person contact between students, examiners, and patients. An important major drawback is still present in such initiatives, which is the inability to assess students' physical examination skills.

A toolbox for conducting an online OSCE.

This toolbox highlights the lessons learned and the tools used to run the online OSCE at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University (CMMS-AGU) using Zoom™ï¸. The examiners considered the examination to be valid in assessing all clinical skills except for psychomotor skills and students found it to be highly acceptable. We describe three phases. Planning and preparation phase in which situation analysis, aligning stakeholders, mobilizing resources, creating a shared vision, and ownership of the exam project take place. For successful implementation of examinations, detailed plans are needed including manpower, timings, number of stations and detailed description of the steps of the examination process. We provide a set of guiding questions for proper decision making related to online clinical exams. Implementation Phase in which piloting is very useful to apply improvements to the original plan and to outline the needed capacity building of the participating staff. We give a detailed description of the guiding documents, means of communication and features of ZOOM that were used. Evaluation phase we provide a guide for evaluating the process and outcome, including a list of key performance indicators.

A 2-step fast-track elastometry service for advanced workup of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients - single-center real-world experience of outpatient clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing globally with an estimated prevalence of approximately 25 %. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis as the progressive disease entity often leads to fibrosis and end-stage disease. The magnitude of NAFLD patients are not diagnosed and have no access to further clinical assessment. Diagnostic pathways for individual risk evaluation fitting with available resources are of utmost importance in real-world clinical practice. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 1346 anonymized outpatient datasets at Würzburg University Hospital, Germany. Transient elastography (TE) with controlled attenuation parameter and laboratory-based risk scores (NFS, FIB-4) were the main diagnostic workup tools for risk stratification. RESULTS: After preselection based on questionnaire information NAFLD still accounts for one-fifth of patients in the liver outpatient service. More than 80 % of NAFLD patients receive their first-time diagnosis in our unit. Laboratory-based risk scores and TE are valuable tools for second-step risk assessment as shown in our clinical data analysis. Moreover, 65 % of NAFLD patients use inpatient services for at least 1 day. The policy to perform liver biopsy in high-risk patients above the recommended threshold of 9.6 kPa if any clinical doubt exists regarding the diagnosis of cirrhosis leads to a histological down staging in almost 80 %. CONCLUSION: Questionnaire-based referral from primary care followed by broadly available fast-track TE and eventually liver biopsy for selected patients is the standard practice in our unit. This approach represents a feasible model to handle the large gap between availability and clinical need for TE facilities.

Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation for the extraction of common bile duct stones

Background and aim: endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation (EPLBD) is increasingly accepted as an appropriate option for the management of difficult common bile duct stones (CBDS). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EPLBD with a relatively large balloon (15-20 mm) for the extraction of difficult CBDS. Patients and methods: a total of 40 patients were recruited with obstructive jaundice and dilated CBD (≥ 10 mm) subsequent to a single large CBDS of ≥ 10 mm or multiple stones (≥ 3). All patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) with limited sphincterotomy and large balloon dilatation followed by stone extraction using an extraction balloon or dormia basket, without lithotripsy, stenting or further ERCP sessions. Results: successful stone extraction was achieved in 34 patients (85%) and stone extraction failure occurred in six patients (15%). Complications included minimal pancreatitis in four cases (10%), mild pancreatitis in two cases (5%), cholangitis in two cases (5%) and bleeding in two cases (5%). There were no recorded cases of perforation or mortality subsequent to the procedure. Conclusion: EPLBD is a safe and efficient procedure for the extraction of difficult CBDS and may be advisable in patients with a bleeding risk or abnormal papillary anatomy

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Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation for the extraction of common bile duct stones.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: endoscopic papillary large balloon dilatation (EPLBD) is increasingly accepted as an appropriate option for the management of difficult common bile duct stones (CBDS). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EPLBD with a relatively large balloon (15-20 mm) for the extraction of difficult CBDS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: a total of 40 patients were recruited with obstructive jaundice and dilated CBD (≥ 10 mm) subsequent to a single large CBDS of ≥ 10 mm or multiple stones (≥ 3). All patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) with limited sphincterotomy and large balloon dilatation followed by stone extraction using an extraction balloon or dormia basket, without lithotripsy, stenting or further ERCP sessions. RESULTS: successful stone extraction was achieved in 34 patients (85%) and stone extraction failure occurred in six patients (15%). Complications included minimal pancreatitis in four cases (10%), mild pancreatitis in two cases (5%), cholangitis in two cases (5%) and bleeding in two cases (5%). There were no recorded cases of perforation or mortality subsequent to the procedure. CONCLUSION: EPLBD is a safe and efficient procedure for the extraction of difficult CBDS and may be advisable in patients with a bleeding risk or abnormal papillary anatomy.

Liver stiffness measurement and spleen diameter as predictors for the presence of esophageal varices in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Although it is an invasive and unpleasant procedure, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is still the gold standard for esophageal varices (EV) detection. The aim of this study was to investigate liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and spleen diameter as simple noninvasive tools for EV prediction in chronic hepatitis C patients (CHC).A total of 123 Egyptian patients with CHC have been included and were classified based on screening EGD result into 2 groups; group A (without EV) and group B (with EV). Group (B) was subclassified according to EV grade into 4 subgroups: (B1, grade I), (B2, grade II), (B3, grade III), and (B4, grade IV). LSM was taken for each patient on the next day by an independent Fibroscan operator and correlated to the EGD result. Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data were recorded and analyzed using advanced data-mining computational technology.Mean LSM was 9.94 ±â€Š6 kPa for group A and 33.32 ±â€Š14 kPa for group B, whereas it was 21.22 ±â€Š3, 25.72 ±â€Š6, 33.82 ±â€Š8, and 46.1 ±â€Š15 kPa for subgroups B1, B2, B3, and B4, respectively. Mean spleen diameter was 11.09 ±â€Š1.7 cm for group A and 16.58 ±â€Š1.6 cm for group B. However, LSM ≥17 kPa was the only independent factor for EV prediction; splenic longitudinal span ≥15 cm was a complementary predictor when LSM was <17 kPa. The overall accuracy was 98.33 ±â€Š3.33, Mikro = 98.26%.LSM ≥17 kPa and spleen diameter ≥15 cm is a simple noninvasive algorithm that could be used for prediction of EV and discrimination among its different grades.