Rater training for standardised assessment of objective structured clinical examinations in rural Tanzania

In this study, six healthcare providers assessed and scored 42 training scenarios. Raters identified average test proficiency 50% of the time. Experts in the field of clinician-based training for frontline staff recommend that all examiners undergo rater training prior to becoming an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) assessor. Helping Babies Breathe, Essential Care for Every Baby and Bleeding after Birth are standardised training programmes in maternal and child health care. Studies examining the reliability of assessments are rare. This study shows that rater training is critical to ensure that the potential of training programmes translates to improved outcomes for mothers and babies.Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa (IMCHA) initiativeGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC)Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR