Patient Clinical Interaction Assessment (PCIA): Updated information
10 July 2024
In March 2024 the patient clinical interaction assessment (PCIA) was communicated to stakeholders as a news item on the ANZCA website, which was also promoted through the ANZCA training e-newsletter.
As a result of additional stakeholder feedback, the following updates are now available:
- What is PCIA: The PCIA is an assessment conducted by a PCIA assessor and undertaken in the workplace during Advanced Training where trainees and SIMGs are observed interacting with a patient to elicit a history, undertake a physical examination and present these findings to a workplace assessor.
- What is the purpose of the PCIA: The purpose of the PCIA is to determine if the trainee or SIMG can be entrusted to provide pre-operative care for patients with significant co-morbidities including pre-operative assessment and risk stratification, preparation and optimisation prior to surgery without supervisory input.
- Who will be required to complete the PCIA: PCIA will be a requirement for all trainees entering Advanced Training (AT) from 2025 Hospital Employment Year, and SIMG’s (who have the requirement to sit the exam) beginning in their SIMG pathway from the 2025 Hospital Employment Year. Those who commenced AT or an SIMG pathway prior to 2025 are not required to complete the PCIA.
- When does the PCIA need to be completed: The PCIA can be undertaken at any time within Advanced Training (AT) or during the SIMG pathway (for those who have a requirement to sit the exam) and must be successfully completed and documented to progress to the Provisional Fellowship Year (PFY) at the core unit review or for SIMGs to apply for fellowship.
- How many PCIAs are required: A minimum of one successfully completed and documented PCIA is required which demonstrates that the trainee or SIMG could be entrusted with preoperative assessment of complex comorbid patients.
- Who are PCIA Assessors: The PCIA Assessor role is a new formal ANZCA position, appointed by the Head of Department and noted by the relevant state or national Education Officer. Each hospital that is accredited within the ANZCA Anaesthesia Training program that has Advanced Trainees, and hospitals with ANZCA SIMGs (who have the requirement to sit the exam) are expected to support the PCIA assessment. Assessor criteria and responsibilities are currently being developed and information packs will be distributed to Heads of Department in the coming months.
- How is the patient selected: The PCIA assessor is responsible for selecting the PCIA case. The patient cannot be selected by the trainee or SIMG.
We're putting together a page of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the PCIA. Questions and answers will be regularly reviewed and updated as information and activities are confirmed.
If you are interested in piloting a PCIA assessment with one of your trainees and providing feedback to the project, please send your details to [email protected].