Medway VTS

Cultivating General Practice in the Garden of England

Workplace Based Assessment

Workplace based assessment (WPBA) is defined as the evaluation of a doctor's progress over time in their performance in those areas of professional practice best tested in the workplace. It is a process through which evidence of competence in independent practice is gathered in a structured and systematic framework. Evidence is collected over all three years of training. The evidence is recorded in a web-based portfolio (the ePortfolio) and used to inform six monthly reviews and, at the end of training, to make a holistic, qualitative judgement about the readiness of the GPStR for independent practice.

WPBA is a developmental process. It will therefore provide feedback to the GPStR and drive learning. It will also indicate where a doctor is in difficulty. It is learner led: the GPStR decides which evidence to put forward for review and validation by the trainer. It is delivered locally by deaneries.

What does WPBA involve?

WPBA consists of a framework of twelve areas of professional competence (link to the competence framerwork) against which evidence is gathered using designated and validated tools. The use of each tool serves as an episode of evidence collection. The WPBA tools ensure the evidence is collected in the same way for each GPStR, and promote consistency among trainers and across deaneries.

The use of the tools does not involve pass/fail assessments; the judgement may be one of insufficient or inadequate evidence, particularly in the early stages of training, but this simply points to the need for further training. At regular points during training all the evidence available from the trainee is reviewed and a judgement is made about progress through each area of professional competence.

WPBA involves making qualitative not quantitative judgments. As the GPStR proceeds through training it would normally be expected that evidence of competence is demonstrated and the degree of readiness to practise is built up. The picture becomes clearer as more evidence is gathered.

The WPBA tools are:

  • Case-based Discussion
  • Consultation Observation Tool (in primary care only)
  • Multi-Source Feedback
  • Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (in primary care only)
  • Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (in hospital posts)
  • Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) (in hospital posts)
  • Clinical Supervisors Report (in hospital posts)

Why do we use WPBA?

There are number of reasons for using WPBA:

  • WPBA connects teaching, learning and assessment; it enables GPStRs to know what is expected of them and to demonstrate attainment over time.
  • It offers authenticity: it allows the assessment to get as close as possible to the real situations in which doctors work.
  • Some competences are not assessed effectively in any other way, e.g. probity or team working. Assessment of performance in the workplace provides us with the only route into many aspects of professionalism.
  • It will provide feedback to the GPStR on areas of strength and developmental needs. There will be clarity and transparency about the outcomes of training at regular intervals throughout the training programme.
  • WPBA is in keeping with the guidance from PMETB for all specialties and continues the approach which is used in the Foundation Programme.

When is WPBA carried out?

WPBA continues throughout the three years of GP specialty training. There are guidelines on how often each WPBA tool should be used to ensure there is a sufficiency of evidence at the point of each six monthly review. In some cases, if the evidence is inadequate or insufficient, the trainer and the GPStR will agree a plan to improve competence and may decide to apply the tools more frequently. All the evidence used in WPBA must be collected during the three year training period.

© 2009 Medway VTS | Last updated: 29/11/2009