Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Time to "refine" clinical ward assessments? Or time to retrain?
1Clinical Education Training Unit, Level 15 Support Building, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Aim:
To investigate the reliability and intra-professional variation of senior and junior doctors in the assessment of a junior doctor's clinical skills via video simulation.
Methods:
Simulation video was created showing 4 clinical scenarios. This video was shown to consultants, registrars and junior doctors in various forms at Auckland City Hospital. Participants evaluated each scenario against a modified version of the current assessment form used by the Medical Council of New Zealand.
Results:
103 Respondents completed the survey: 22 Senior Medical Officers, 17 registrars (PGY3+), 43 junior doctors (PGY1-2) and 21 undergraduates (medical students). Statistical significance between groups was reached only for Question 6 in which Senior Medical Officers rated communication skills and respect for patients lower than postgraduate students (p=0.005). Large variability was noted in ratings for 'presentation of history' and 'clinical knowledge'.
Conclusion:
There is marked variation between Senior Medical Officers in the assessment of a junior doctor's clinical practice as demonstrated by the use of a simulation video. This variation is of potential major concern. Quality training methods of assessors may need to be implemented for standardisation of assessment if a summative component exists.
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