Executive summary
Qpercom, led by Dr Thomas Kropmans and colleagues, has been at the forefront of research in educational decision-making and clinical skills assessment. This business case outlines the impact of Qpercom’s scientific contributions on two major stakeholders: (1 ) the University of Galway, where the platform enhances the assessment of clinical skills among healthcare students, and (2 ) NHS England’s Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection (MDRS ), where it aids in recruitment decision support for specialty trainees. By integrating psychometric principles, standard error of measurement (SEM ), and actional feedback mechanisms, Qpercom’s research has led to improvements in both high-stakes assessment and workforce selection processes.
Background and research foundations
The assessment of clinical competence and the selection of healthcare professionals are critical processes that require objective, reliable, and valid decision-making frameworks. Traditional methods, such as unstructured interviews and subjective global ratings, have demonstrated limitations in predicting future performance. Qpercom’s research (Kropmans et al ) has contributed significantly to addressing these limitations by incorporating data-driven methodologies that improve the match between observed performance and global rating scores while optimising actionable feedback.
In the academic domain, Qpercom has pioneered research at the University of Galway on advanced assessment methodologies, focusing on the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE ) and Multi-Source Feedback (MSF ). These methodologies allow for improved reliability in clinical competency evaluation through digital assessment and psychometric validation. The same principles are applied in NHS England’s selection processes, ensuring that recruitment decisions for medical and dental specialty trainees are based on robust, data-driven models rather than subjective judgments.
Key contributions to the University of Galway
Qpercom’s research has transformed how the University of Galway assesses its healthcare students by integrating:
1. Standard error of measurement (SEM ) in OSCEs – By analyzing SEM, Qpercom’s work ensures that clinical skill scores reflect true competence rather than measurement error. This minimizes misclassification of students, reducing the likelihood of unfair pass/fail decisions.
2. Global rating scales and clinical judgment – Traditional checklists can fail to capture holistic clinical decision-making skills. Research by Kropmans et al has validated global rating scales, ensuring that examiners’ judgments are both structured and predictive of future clinical competence.
3. Actionable feedback for learners – The research highlights how formative assessment data can be leveraged to provide students with individualised, actionable feedback. This improves learning outcomes and bridges the gap between assessment scores and clinical performance.
4. Digitalization and real-time analytics – Through digital assessment platforms, Qpercom enables immediate result analysis, which streamlines decision-making for faculty while ensuring fairness and transparency.
These contributions have positioned the University of Galway as a leader in medical education assessment, improving graduate competence and patient safety.
Impact on NHS England and medical recruitment
Qpercom’s research has also been instrumental in supporting NHS England’s recruitment decisions, particularly within MDRS, where selecting the right candidates for specialty training is a high-stakes endeavor. Key applications of Qpercom’s work in this domain include:
1. Data-driven selection models – The use of psychometric principles, including SEM and predictive analytics, ensures that recruitment decisions are not based solely on subjective judgments but on objective, quantifiable data. This leads to higher validity in selection.
2. Reducing false-positive and false-negative selections – Research demonstrates how integrating performance assessment models can minimise errors in recruitment, ensuring that only the most suitable candidates are selected for training programmes.
3. Enhancing fairness and diversity – By utilising standardised assessment frameworks, Qpercom’s work supports equitable recruitment practices, mitigating unconscious bias in the selection of trainees.
4. Longitudinal tracking of candidate performance – Research by Kropmans et al emphasises the importance of linking assessment data to long-term performance in clinical practice. This enables NHS England to refine selection criteria based on real-world outcomes.
Strategic advantages and return on investment
By leveraging Qpercom’s research in both education and recruitment, stakeholders experience multiple benefits:
For universities: Increased assessment reliability leads to better-prepared graduates, improved accreditation standards, and enhanced institutional reputation.
For NHS England: More effective recruitment decisions reduce workforce attrition, improve patient care quality, and optimize training investments.
For students and trainees: Fairer assessment and selection processes increase motivation, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence in professional development.
The adoption of data-driven decision support models ultimately results in improved workforce competency, cost savings, and enhanced healthcare outcomes.
Conclusion and future directions
Qpercom’s research provides a critical foundation for advancing educational and recruitment decision-making in healthcare. By continuously refining assessment methodologies and leveraging psychometric validation, the company remains at the forefront of evidence-based practice. Future directions include expanding machine learning models for predictive analytics, further integration of digital assessment platforms, and broader implementation of real-time feedback mechanisms in both education and recruitment.
In conclusion, the synergy between Qpercom’s research, the University of Galway, and NHS England illustrates the tangible impact of data-driven decision-making. By reinforcing fairness, reliability, and actionable feedback, Qpercom not only enhances assessment and recruitment processes but also contributes to a higher standard of healthcare education and workforce selection.
