Construct Validity of Instruments Assessing Clinical Competence

There is a need to evaluate the evidence for
construct validity of high stake assessment tools
used for assessing clinical competence of
physicians. The focus has been on reliability which
is a necessary but not sufficient condition for
validity. This monograph will discuss psychometric
evaluation of assessment instruments focussing on
validity. The research addressed in this monograph
has utilized the multitrait multimethod matrix
(MTMM) approach introduced by Campbell and Fisk and
deliberated on its historical background and
usefulness. Three traits, doctor-patient
relationship, clinical competence, and communication
skills were assessed in OSCEs, ITERs and clinical
assessments. There was evidence for both
convergent and divergent validity for clinical
competence, doctor-patient relationships, and
communications. There is evidence for the construct
validity of all three traits across three methods.
The MTMM approach,currently underutilized, could be
profitably employed to estimate the degree of
evidence for validating complex constructs like,
clinical competence.

Autorentext

Dr. Lubna Baig is a Public Health physician with a PhD in Medical Education. She is the Managing Director of the Alberta International Medical Graduate Program, Professor of Community Medicine at Karachi Medical and Dental College, Pakistan and Assistant Professor (adjunct), Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary

Klappentext

There is a need to evaluate the evidence for construct validity of high stake assessment tools used for assessing clinical competence of physicians. The focus has been on reliability which is a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity. This monograph will discuss psychometric evaluation of assessment instruments focussing on validity. The research addressed in this monograph has utilized the multitrait multimethod matrix (MTMM) approach introduced by Campbell and Fisk and deliberated on its historical background and usefulness. Three traits, doctor-patient relationship, clinical competence, and communication skills were assessed in OSCEs, ITERs and clinical assessments. There was evidence for both convergent and divergent validity for clinical competence, doctor-patient relationships, and communications. There is evidence for the construct validity of all three traits across three methods. The MTMM approach,currently underutilized, could be profitably employed to estimate the degree of evidence for validating complex constructs like, clinical competence.