title: A multicenter study to provide evidence of construct validity in a computer-based outcome measure of neurology clinical skills.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Using computer-based simulation to assess clinical skill-a key competence for medical trainees-enables standardization and exposure to a broad sample of physical findings. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence of construct validity for a computer-based outcome measure of neurology clinical skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 128 medical students and neurology residents at four institutions volunteered to take a 34-question computer-based test designed to measure neurology clinical skills. Subjects were classified into three groups based on level of training: novice, intermediate, and experienced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall performance increased with level of training. Question difficulty discriminated between groups as predicted. Twenty-six of 34 individual items discriminated between novices and more advanced learners. This test separated learners at different levels of training with a consistency of .92.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided evidence of construct validity for a computer-based outcome measure of neurology clinical skills.
authors.affiliation: P.O. Box 016960 (D-41), Miami, FL 33101, USA. vobeso@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Vivian T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Obeso
authors.forename: David Lee
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: S Barry
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Issenberg
authors.forename: Joan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Jaffar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Emil R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Petrusa
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D019212:Multimedia; D009462:Neurology / Q000193:education*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013337:Students, Medical