CHANGING PERSPECTIVE: ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDENT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS USING GOOGLE GLASS VS. IPAD VIDEO RECORDING

Terry Auditorium

Objective. To compare the information obtained by Google Glass, a point-of-view device, versus conventional video, in interpersonal skills assessment in physical therapy students. Background. Optimal patient care requires training and objectively assessing affective skills in health care students. Video feedback enables students to critically self-reflect on their own practice; Wearable point-of-view technology such as Google Glass, permits encounters to be recorded from the patient perspective in contrast to the observer perspective of conventional recordings. Methods. Eleven entry-level physical therapy students interviewed a standardized patient and were recorded using both Google Glass and iPad. Students self-assessed before and after watching their video recordings, and were also assessed by groups of student peers and faculty and non-faculty who viewed their videos. Results. Similar themes emerged from qualitative data gathered during focus group discussions. Recorded students concluded that the two videos allowed them to “relive” the interaction and enhanced self-reflection. The iPad recording was valued overall for revealing body motions and visualizing the patient. However, students and peers perceived and preferred the Google Glass recording as more valuable for eye contact and facial expressions, with peers citing increased understanding of the patient’s perspective. Whereas, faculty and non-faculty expressed the belief that the complementary perspectives of both videos was best to fully assess and understand an interaction. Conclusion. Point-of-view technology offers a unique perspective to complement or augment existing technologies for student assessment, training, and improvement of interpersonal skills in preparation for patient-centered activities. Grants. This study was funded by an NSU HPD grant.