title: Neurology assessment by objective structured video examination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to carry out a neurological examination and make an appropriate differential diagnosis is one of the mainstays of our final Bachelor of Medicine (MB) exam; however, with the introduction of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) it has become impossible to arrange for adequate numbers of suitable real patients to participate in the exam.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  It is vital that newly qualified doctors can perform a basic neurological examination, interpret the physical signs and formulate a differential diagnosis. It is vital that newly qualified doctors can perform a basic neurological examination
  
  
  METHODS
  Since 2010 we have introduced an objective structured video examination (OSVE) of a neurological examination of a real patient as part of our final MB OSCE exam. The students view clips of parts of the examination process. They answer questions on the signs that are demonstrated and formulate a differential diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This type of station is logistically a lot easier to organise than a large number of real patients at different examination sites. The featured patients have clearly demonstrated signs and, as every student sees the same patient, are perfectly standardised. It is highly acceptable to examiners and performed well as an assessment tool. There are, however, certain drawbacks in that we are not examining the student's examination technique or their interaction with the patient. Also, certain signs, in particular the assessment of muscle tone and power, are more difficult for a student to estimate in this situation.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Medical Education, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. p.watson@qub.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Centre of Medical Education, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Centre of Medical Education, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hawkins
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009462:Neurology / Q000193:education*; D020336:Paraparesis, Spastic / Q000175:diagnosis; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods; D020754:Spinocerebellar Ataxias / Q000175:diagnosis; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods