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Curriculum and Assessment Site

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills

 

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) is designed to provide feedback on procedural skills essential to the provision of good clinical care. The mandatory procedures have been selected as sufficiently important and/or technically demanding to warrant specific assessment. 

 

How to do DOPS

How many? How often?

Resources

How to do DOPS

GPStRs will be asked to undertake observed encounters with a different observer for each encounter. They will normally be completed opportunistically during the first two years of training. Each DOPS should represent a different procedure. The GPStR chooses the timing, procedure and the observer. There may be a need to check that the skills have been retained and are used appropriately within the context of general practice.

The observers may be experienced SpRs, staff grades, appropriate nursing staff or consultants.

 

There are eight mandatory procedures to be covered:

  • Application of simple dressing
  • Breast examination
  • Cervical cytology
  • Female genital examination
  • Male genital examination
  • Prostate examination
  • Rectal examination
  • Testing for blood glucose

Some of these procedures may be combined e.g. prostate and rectal examinations

  

There are currently eleven optional procedures which should be recorded, if undertaken. The specific list will change from time to time. In addition, should the educational need arise, GPStRs may be requested to repeat DOPS assessment of Foundation procedural skills.

 

The eleven optional procedures are currently:

  • Aspiration of effusion
  • Cauterisation
  • Cryotherapy
  • Curettage/shave excision
  • Excision of skin lesions
  • Incision and drainage of abcess
  • Joint and peri-articular injections
  • Hormone replacement implants
  • Proctoscopy
  • Suturing of skin wound
  • Taking skin surface specimens for mycology

 

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How many? How often?

One DOPS should be carried out for each procedure, for at least the eight mandatory procedures. These need to be carried out until the mandatory skills log in the Trainee ePortfolio is complete. It is estimated that each DOPS will take between 10 and 20 minutes, including 5 - 15 minutes for assessment and 5 minutes for feedback.

 

Resources

Sample form (pdf, 64kb)