Online script concordance test for clinical reasoning assessment in otorhinolaryngology: the association between...

To report on the creation and administration of an online Script Concordance Test (SCT) for ear, nose, and throat (ENT), the ENT-SCT.

Prospective study.

Two tertiary care university centers.

In total, 132 individuals were asked to test an ENT-SCT of 20 cases and 94 questions based on the major educational objectives of the ENT residency program.

Three levels of experience were tested: medical students, ENT residents, and board-certified otorhinolaryngologists as the expert panel. The test's construct validity-whether scores were related to clinical experience-was statistically analyzed. Reliability was estimated by the Cronbach α internal consistency coefficient. Participants' perception of the test was assessed with the use of a questionnaire.

The 65 respondents with usable data were medical students (n = 21), ENT residents (n = 22), and experts (n = 22). Total mean (SD) test scores differed significantly: 76.81 (3.31) for the expert panel, 69.05 (4.35) for residents, and 58.29 (5.86) for students. The Cronbach α coefficient was 0.95. More than two-thirds of the participants found the test to be realistic and relevant for assessing clinical reasoning. The test was also considered fun, interesting, and intuitive.

The Web-based ENT-SCT is feasible, reliable, and useful for assessing clinical reasoning. This online assessment tool may have applications for residency programs and continuing medical education.