Psychometric properties of an integrated assessment of technical and communication skills.
OBJECTIVE
The Integrated Procedural Performance Instrument (IPPI) consists of clinical scenarios in which bench-top models are positioned to simulated patients. Trainees are required to perform technical skills while engaging with the patient. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an IPPI format examination could discriminate between different levels of trainees.


METHODS
Sixteen fourth-year medical students and 16 first-year surgery residents participated in 4 IPPI scenarios. Videotaped performances were scored by 2 blinded independent clinician raters on previously validated instruments: checklist of technical skills, Global Rating Scale of technical skills, and communication scale. We conducted separate mixed design analyses of variance (level x cases) on the 3 scales.


RESULTS
Residents performed better than medical students on the checklist (74% vs 60%, P < .05), the Global Rating Scale of technical skills (75% vs 56%, P < .01), and the coherence communication subscale (79% vs 69%, P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
An IPPI examination discriminated between students' and residents' technical skills and coherence in communication skills. It also highlighted a potential gap in the training of residents' communication skills.
LeBlanc
Vicki R
VR
Wilson Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 200 Elizabeth St., 1ES-565, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4 Canada. vicki.leblanc@utoronto.ca
Tabak
Diana
D
Kneebone
Roger
R
Nestel
Debra
D
MacRae
Helen
H
Moulton
Carol-Anne
CA
D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003142:Communication; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D016544:Patient Simulation; D011594:Psychometrics