Analysis of videotaped consultations to certify competence

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training
• Clinical Competence Assessment

Background:

• Videotape assessment for feedback is standard in postgraduate general practice training.
• Current Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners exams use simulated patient interviews.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility and cost of using videotaped genuine patient consultations for assessment.
• To evaluate interobserver reliability and score correlation for this assessment method.
• To explore videotape assessment as an alternative to simulated patient interviews in examinations.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study using portable videocamera equipment for recording genuine patient consultations.
• Remote assessment by four independent examiners.
• Analysis of feasibility, cost, interobserver reliability, and rating scale correlations.

Main Results:

• Videotape assessment of genuine consultations demonstrates potential for end-point clinical competence evaluation.
• Feasibility and cost-effectiveness of collecting and assessing videotapes were addressed.
• Interobserver reliability and correlation between rating scales were examined.

Conclusions:

• Assessment of videotaped genuine consultations is a viable option for evaluating clinical competence.
• Further research is needed to determine optimal methods for collecting a sufficient range of consultations for proficiency demonstration.