Using smartphones for trainee performance assessment: A SIMPL case study

Workplace-based assessments are used by raters to evaluate observed performance of trainees in actual clinical practice. These types of assessments are of growing interest, especially because observed performance is prioritized within the larger competency-based medical educational movement. Implementation of workplace-based assessments has, however, been challenging. This article describes the motivations and implications for workplace-based assessments that leverage smartphone technology. It does so in reference to an app called SIMPL (System for Improving and Measuring Procedural Learning) in order to highlight some of the challenges and benefits one might encounter during implementation of similar systems.