title: [Validation of a questionnaire for standardized-patient assessment of clinical skills].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed in the context of a new educational program based on standardized-patients (SPs). The study objectives were (1) to evaluate the reliability of the assessment form used by SPs and (2) to compare global ratings to checklists reproducibility.
  
  
  METHODS
  History taking, physical examination and communication skills were assessed by SPs at the end of clinical encounters with year 3 medical students, using generic global rating scales and case-specific checklists. The validation process followed four steps: (1) correlation analysis between global rating and their relative checklist of specific items, (2) internal consistency estimation, (3) validation of the questionnaire dimensions, (4) estimation of the reliability of SPs' ratings compared to medical teachers' ratings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3322 consultations have been performed by 444 year 3 medical students. Statistical analysis showed a good internal reliability (Cronbach α was greater than 0.7) and an acceptable inter-judge reproducibility except for communication skills. Case-specific checklists did not prove to be more reliable than global ratings. Reproducibility was lower with SPs' than with medical teachers' assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Global rating-based assessment should be preferred to checklists because they are faster and easier to use (shorter duration of SPs training). As SPs proved to be acceptable examiners, no third person seems to be required as external observer.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne, faculté de médecine, université de Nantes, CHU de Nantes, place Alexis-Ricordeau, 44093 Nantes, France; EA4275 SPHERE, Biostatistiques, pharmacoépidémiologie et recherche en sciences humaines, université de Nantes, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, 44035 Nantes cedex, France. Electronic address: pierre.pottier@univ-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pottier
authors.affiliation: Département de médecine générale, faculté de médecine, université de Nantes, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, 44035 Nantes cedex, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology & Department of Innovation and Medical Education, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa Skills and Simulation Centre (uOSSC), The Academy for Innovation in Medical Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boet
authors.affiliation: EA4275 SPHERE, Biostatistiques, pharmacoépidémiologie et recherche en sciences humaines, université de Nantes, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, 44035 Nantes cedex, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: le Pabic
authors.affiliation: EA4275 SPHERE, Biostatistiques, pharmacoépidémiologie et recherche en sciences humaines, université de Nantes, 1, rue Gaston-Veil, 44035 Nantes cedex, France.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hardouin
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Clinical reasoning assessment; Medical education research; Medical students; Performance; Recherche en éducation médicale; Stress; Étudiants en médecine; Évaluation du raisonnement clinique