Evaluating Interprofessional Team Performance: A Faculty Rater Tool.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Team-Based Care Assessment
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Growing emphasis on interprofessional education and team-based care necessitates reliable methods for team assessment.
• Objective rating scales are crucial for evaluating interprofessional student teams and individuals, offering real-time feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify the McMaster-Ottawa Scale into a 3-point behavioral rating scale with descriptive anchors.
• To develop a faculty rater tool, including a demonstration video, for standardized assessment in interprofessional patient care settings.

Main Methods:

• The McMaster-Ottawa Scale was adapted to a 3-point scale with defined competency levels.
• A demonstration video featuring actors from four professions was created to illustrate performance levels.
• The faculty rater tool, comprising the modified scale and video, was developed for standardized ratings.

Main Results:

• Training was conducted with 40 faculty members from seven professions over two years.
• Trained faculty observers demonstrated consistent ratings of interprofessional student teams assessed on standardized patients.
• Observer training using the tool requires only 60-90 minutes.

Conclusions:

• The modified McMaster-Ottawa Scale is feasible for administration in clinical settings.
• The demonstration video effectively standardizes observer ratings in interprofessional educational contexts.