Get Direct Observation Of Surgical Skills (DOPS)

DOPS is an assessment method designed specially by the Royal Medical College of England for assessing clinical skills (7). It is a method in which the examiner observes the trainee during a routine procedure on a real patient and in a real situation and gives feedback to the trainee (4,5,10,11).

Direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) is a tool for workplace-based assessment (WPBA) designed to observe procedural skills involving real patient encounter and to give feedback based on this observation.

DOPs are used to facilitate developmental feedback during routine surgical practice in wards, outpatient clinics or operating theatre. This is a criterion-based tool to determine competence and facilitate appropriate feedback.

Examples include a Sonographer, Vascular Technologist, Vascular Surgeon, Obstetrician or Nuclear Physician, depending on the examination being conducted.

A DOPS is an assessment tool designed to evaluate the performance of a nurse in undertaking a practical procedure. The nurse should be given immediate feedback to identify strengths and areas for development. All workplace-based assessments are intended primarily to support learning so this feedback is very important.

The DOPS is used to assess the trainee's technical, operative and professional skills in a range of basic diagnostic and interventional procedures, or parts of procedures, during routine surgical practice in order to facilitate developmental feedback.

A DOPS is a concise, validated method of assessment consisting of a supervisor observing a trainee conducting a procedural skill (e.g. psychotherapy, ECT, supervision, physical examination) and providing feedback to the trainee about their performance.

Examples include a Sonographer, Vascular Technologist, Vascular Surgeon, Obstetrician or Nuclear Physician, depending on the examination being conducted.