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With the wide application of the OSCE in the field of pharmacy, the development of e-assessment in OSCE is a predictable trend. However, the feasibility of its practical application and the acceptance of examiners who are accustomed to using traditional paper-based methods are worthy of being discussed. The e-assessment system (EAS) was constructed in this study and used in the examination process. Examiner satisfaction and changes in acceptance of EAS were evaluated. Examiners showed high recognition for the advantages of EAS in data processing, but EAS obviously made the examiner more nervous than the paper-based method. After repeated use of the e-OSCE system, the examiner's satisfaction and acceptance significantly improved, which showed that there was a certain correlation between examiner's familiarity with the assessment method and their acceptance. Besides, EAS has great advantages over traditional paper-based methods, and it is feasible in clinical practice examination of pharmacy education.

Objective(s): One of the most common problems of nursing students in the clinical environment and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), is anxiety and lack of accuracy, which can lead to negative effects on their learning and performance. Considering the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of aromatherapy, the present study aims to the effect of lavender aromatherapy on the accuracy, exam anxiety, and performance of nursing students in OSCE. Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 60 undergraduate nursing students under the OSCE in 2022. Eligible students who met inclusion criteria were recruited by convenience sampling and then were allocated randomly with the random sequence generation software, to intervention (n=30) and control groups (n=30). The intervention included aromatherapy with lavender essential oil with 100% purity for 10 minutes. Toulouse- Pieron Attention questionnaire, Sarason's test anxiety, and performance checklist were used in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods by SPSS version 26 statistical software. Results: The results indicated a significant decrease in the average exam anxiety score with P = 0.03 and a significant improvement in accuracy with P < 0.001 after aromatherapy in the intervention group. Also, the results of the independent t-test showed that after the intervention, there was a significant difference in the average exam anxiety score with P = 0.02 and accuracy with P < 0.001 between the intervention and control groups. Meanwhile, the average performance score of the students' grades was not significant between the two groups. Conclusion: Considering the positive effects of inhaling the scent of lavender in improving the accuracy and reducing the anxiety of the nursing students' exam, the use of this low-cost program, with easy access and without complications, is recommended along with other methods.

The article is devoted to the specifics of the OSCE Mission in Moldova in the context of the Pridnestrovian settlement in the prevailing new geopolitical realities in the conflict region. Taking into account the position of Russia voiced in the OSCE Permanent Council, raising the question of the expediency of extending the mandate of this field operation, the purpose of the article is not only to identify key problems in the mission’s activities, but also to determine its significance for the negotiation process in the «5+2» format and in the broader context of the settlement – to ensure systemic communication between the parties to the conflict – Moldova and Pridnestrovie. The author, who for several years has been directly involved in multilateral international negotiations on the Pridnestrovian settlement, relying on an extensive empirical base and accumulated personal experience, comes to conclusions about the extremely low probability of resuming the official work of the «5+2» before the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis. The OSCE field mission continuing high potential in the issue of preserving communication channels between Chisinau and Tiraspol. The implementation of such an OSCE role meets Russia’s interests in this region.

The purpose of this article is to present the operational capabilities of the OSCE in regulating armed conflicts and their application in the former Eastern bloc countries. In order to show the role of the OSCE in the regulation of armed conflicts, OSCE operational capabilities have been structured in a conceptual grid including: OSCE regulatory tools – in the form of missions, field offices and field coordinators; regulatory mechanisms and emergency mechanisms applied in the light of the peaceful pathways of OSCE involvement in the regulatory process. The common feature of operation at each phase is the broadly understood maintenance of stability or achieving stability. There are armed conflicts against which the OSCE has selectively used regulatory activity, omitting certain phases of the conflict, and those against which the application of regulatory tools has not led to lasting stabilisation. The results presented in the paper confirm the correctness of considering the above theories against the background of the conflict cycle concept. Institutional and legal analysis and comparative analysis were used in this paper.

Abstract Background Despite the prevalence of distance learning during COVID-19, conducting clinical training for nursing students remains challenging. In compliance with social-distancing restrictions, a Zoom-based virtual OSCE preparation program for nursing students was designed, and it included clinical skills. The aims of this study were to assess nursing students’ satisfaction with a virtual program for Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) preparation, and to evaluate its learning outcomes measured by OSCE scores as compared to those of in-person preparation programs. Methods A descriptive and repeated cross-sectional study was designed. Students’ satisfaction with the virtual program was based on a post-course survey and personal reflections. OSCE scores of graduates of the virtual program (n = 82) tested in 2021 were compared to those of 337 graduates of in-person programs tested in 2017–2020. Results A post-program survey revealed that 88% of the students in 2021 were satisfied with the virtual program and felt it prepared them properly for the OSCE (26% agree and 62% strongly agree). No significant differences were found between OSCE scores following the virtual program conducted in 2021 and scores following in-person programs conducted in 2017–2020. Conclusions This study suggests that nursing education can benefit from integrating virtual programs which incorporate clinical practices into the curricula, without harming student competency. The study results may address the problem of maintaining clinical practices in a time of limited accessibility, and in settings of low resources. It is important to expand the investigation to long-term impact of virtual training programs on nursing students’ competencies.

The new curriculum of medical schools has brought the need to develop a professional committed to ethics, capable of understanding the role of social factors, the insertion of the individual into the family and their role in promoting health. These skills and the use of new methodologies in teaching-learning process have demonstrated that the traditional performance assessment methods are limited in holistically evaluating the student. This study analyzed the correlation among different methods for evaluating competencies in medical internship students and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was performed among 5th year medical students at Pediatric, Surgery, Medical Clinic, Family and Community Medicine and Gynecology and Obstetrics. Grades of each student obtained through different evaluations (theoretical test, conceptual evaluation and test skills) at the end of each rotation were correlated with the individual results from OSCE. In regard to correlations with the OSCE score values, it was found a weak to moderate positive and statistically significant relationship with the global cognitive score (r= 0.22, p< 0.001), global abilities score (r= 0.26, p< 0.001) and with the global behavioral score (r= 0.38, p< 0.001). The students' performance in the various assessments of performance evaluated here was positively correlated to their performance on OSCE. Furthermore, the organization of an OSCE-type assessment prepared in multiple, committed and competent hands may serve as a unique assessment and, in fact, assess the development of clinical skills for future doctors.

Despite the fact that theoretical concepts about the nature, essence, and significance of customary norms, and their place among the sources of international law, are well studied in academic circles, there are still very few scientific works dedicated to specific issues concerning customary norms. Today, there is growing distrust of customary norms, especially in countries with the Romano-Germanic legal system, and there are even doubts about the practical significance of customary norms as a source of contemporary international law. These doubts arise, in particular, from the fact that subjects of international law, when applying various legal norms in international relations, often forget about the true origin of these norms. For example, in the doctrine of international law, attention is often drawn to the “binding legal force” of non-ratified treaties because they codify customary norms of international law. This fact, at a minimum, indicates that customary norms of international law can underlie the actions of subjects of international law when it may seem to them that they are following norms from “other” sources of international law, bypassing customary norms, although, in reality, their relations are governed by customary norms of international law. Such a connection between customary norms can be established not only with non-ratified international treaties but also with political commitments established within various international organizations. Frequent instances of violations of political commitments established within the OSCE framework increase the interest of scholars, particularly international lawyers, in studying the possible consequences of these violations by OSCE participating states. Specifically, the question arises as to whether the political commitments outlined in OSCE documents are connected to any legal obligations, as it is quite possible that some political commitments originate from customary norms and have a specific customary norm as their root. In other words, these commitments may reflect a more specialized application of a particular customary norm in relation to a specific narrow circle of international relations within the OSCE area. The purpose of this work is, on the one hand, to analyze the customary norms of international law and identify the characteristics of their emergence and development, and on the other hand, to ascertain the essence of documents adopted on behalf of the OSCE as a whole and their influence on the development of customary international law. The results of the research lead to the conclusion that OSCE documents indeed play a significant role in the evolution of customary norms. Through more targeted and intensive research of OSCE documents, and the creation of special mechanisms within the OSCE for this purpose, we believe it will be possible to reveal not only the explicit but also the latent connection between customary norms of international law and the political commitments established in OSCE documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has influenced pharmacy education including learning, assessment, and exams. In the UAE, pharmacy instructors have adapted several innovative teaching methods to strive for quality learning outcomes. The current trial presented a head-to-head comparative assessment between on-campus versus virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with examiners’ and students’ perspectives. Aim: The main aim was to compare fourth-year students’ and examiners’ perceptions of the feasibility (time and logistics), stress, performance, and satisfaction between on-campus versus virtual OSCE. Method: A randomized controlled head-to-head comparative assessment between the On-campus and virtual OSCE was conducted to explore performance and satisfaction of pharmacy students and examiners towards the two OSCE settings. The virtual OSCE was carried out directly after the on-campus -OSCE and the setting was designed in a way that aligned with the on-campus OSCE but in a virtual way. Microsoft Teams® breakout room was used as a virtual stations. Respondus-lockdown-browse and Google Meet® were used for proctoring purposes. Results: Students who sat for the on-campus assessment were more satisfied with the instructions, the orientation session, the time management, and the overall exam setting, the ability of the exam to assess their communication and clinical skills, professionalism and attitude, and the interactivity of the exam compared to the students who sat for the virtual assessment. Examiners’ perceptions for both settings were the same with the exception of interaction with students (p less than 0.05) as the on-campus OSCE was more interactive. Conclusion: Students still prefer the on-campus OSCE to the virtual OSCE format in many aspects. Nevertheless, virtual OSCE is still a feasible and satisfactory method of assessment when on-campus OSCE is not possible. There is a need of a specialized platform to conduct the virtual OSCE from A to Z rather than maximizing the use of options in the current digital platforms.

Abstract BackgroundThis study explores the cutting-edge abilities of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT in medical history taking and medical record documentation, with a focus on their practical effectiveness in clinical settings—an area vital for the progress of medical artificial intelligence. ObjectiveOur aim was to assess the capability of ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 in performing medical history taking and medical record documentation in simulated clinical environments. The study compared the performance of nonmedical individuals using ChatGPT with that of junior medical residents. MethodsA simulation involving standardized patients was designed to mimic authentic medical history–taking interactions. Five nonmedical participants used ChatGPT versions 3.5 and 4.0 to conduct medical histories and document medical records, mirroring the tasks performed by 5 junior residents in identical scenarios. A total of 10 diverse scenarios were examined. ResultsEvaluation of the medical documentation created by laypersons with ChatGPT assistance and those created by junior residents was conducted by 2 senior emergency physicians using audio recordings and the final medical records. The assessment used the Objective Structured Clinical Examination benchmarks in Taiwan as a reference. ChatGPT-4.0 exhibited substantial enhancements over its predecessor and met or exceeded the performance of human counterparts in terms of both checklist and global assessment scores. Although the overall quality of human consultations remained higher, ChatGPT-4.0’s proficiency in medical documentation was notably promising. ConclusionsThe performance of ChatGPT 4.0 was on par with that of human participants in Objective Structured Clinical Examination evaluations, signifying its potential in medical history and medical record documentation. Despite this, the superiority of human consultations in terms of quality was evident. The study underscores both the promise and the current limitations of LLMs in the realm of clinical practice.