title: The validity of a professional competence tool for physiotherapy students in simulation-based clinical education: a Rasch analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the recent widespread adoption of simulation in clinical education in physiotherapy, there is a lack of validated tools for assessment in this setting. The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) is a comprehensive tool used in clinical placement settings in Australia to measure professional competence of physiotherapy students. The aim of the study was to evaluate the validity of the APP for student assessment in simulation settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1260 APPs were collected, 971 from students in simulation and 289 from students in clinical placements. Rasch analysis was used to examine the construct validity of the APP tool in three different simulation assessment formats: longitudinal assessment over 1 week of simulation; longitudinal assessment over 2 weeks; and a short-form (25 min) assessment of a single simulation scenario. Comparison with APPs from 5 week clinical placements in hospital and clinic-based settings were also conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The APP demonstrated acceptable fit to the expectations of the Rasch model for the 1 and 2 week clinical simulations, exhibiting unidimensional properties that were able to distinguish different levels of student performance. For the short-form simulation, nine of the 20 items recorded greater than 25 % of scores as 'not-assessed' by clinical educators which impacted on the suitability of the APP tool in this simulation format.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The APP was a valid assessment tool when used in longitudinal simulation formats. A revised APP may be required for assessment in short-form simulation scenarios.
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences and Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. belinda.judd@sydney.edu.au.
authors: Belinda K
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6640-269X
authors: BK
authors: Judd
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Justin N
authors: JN
authors: Scanlan
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Jennifer A
authors: JA
authors: Alison
authors: Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Waters
authors: Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Gordon
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016544:Patient Simulation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000193:education*; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000193:education*
keywords: Competency; Health professional education; Physiotherapy; Rasch model; Simulation