Assessment of clinical psychiatric skills in final-year medical students: the use of videotape.
Sixty final-year medical students had their clinical performance in psychiatry assessed by the following three methods: a multiple choice questionnaire based on a series of short videotaped interviews with psychiatric patients; the examination of a traditional long 'case' with presentation of the history, mental state findings and formulation about diagnosis and management to a panel of three examiners; and a conventional oral examination about the principles and practice of psychiatry with a different trio of examiners. The total mark on the videotape session correlated significantly with the combined clinical and oral marks. There was also a significant positive correlation between the total video marks and the individual clinical marks, but none between the marks obtained during the video and oral components of the examination. However, the significant positive correlations between the video marks and those of the clinical examination were modest and only accounted for not more than 14% of the variance. Inspection of the distribution of correct answers to the videotape questions shows that students do best in identifying mental state symptoms and signs and in choosing the correct diagnosis. They do less well in the areas of aetiology and treatment. Indeed, optimal performance in the latter distinguishes those who do well in the clinical/oral examination from those whose performance is mediocre. The significance of these findings to the teaching and assessment of psychiatric skills in medical students is discussed.
D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009660:Northern Ireland; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D014743:Videotape Recording