title: Developing and pilot testing of a tool for "clinicosocial case study" assessment of community medicine residents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Practical and clinical skills teaching should constitute a core part of the postgraduate curriculum of Community Medicine. The clinicosocial case study is a method to enhance learners' skills but there is no generally accepted organized system of formative assessment and structured feedback to guide students. A new tool based on the principles of mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini CEX) was developed and pilot tested as a 'clinicosocial case study' assessment of community medicine residents with feedback as a core component.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten core domains of clinicosocial skills were identified after reviewing the relevant literature and input from local experts in community medicine and medical education. We pilot tested the tool with eight faculty members to assess five residents during clinicosocial case presentations on a variety of topics. Kappa statistic and Bland Altman plots were used to assess agreement between faculty members' average assessment scores. Cronbach's alpha was used to test the internal consistency with faculty members as domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 95% confidence limits using the Bland-Altman method were within the predetermined limit of 2 points. The overall Kappa between two faculty members was fair ranging from 0.2 to 0.3. Qualitative feedback revealed that both faculty and residents were enthusiastic about the process but faculty suggested further standardization, while residents suggested streamlining of the process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new assessment tool is available for objective and unbiased assessment of residents through 'clinicosocial case study,' which enriches learning through comprehensive feedback. Further validation in different settings is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gohel
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Uday Shankar
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhanderi
authors.affiliation: Central Research Services and Member of Human Research Ethics Committee, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Karamsad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phatak
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003154:Community Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects