Quantifying efficacy of investigation during a simulated psychiatric interview

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry Training
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Simulation is a valuable tool for medical education, offering clinical experience without patient risk.
• Psychiatry training increasingly uses simulation to develop interview and assessment skills.
• Objective indicators for assessing learner performance in psychiatric simulation are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relevance of a quantitative measure for assessing psychiatry residents' efficiency in investigating suicidal risk during simulated interviews.
• To determine if the I² /Q ratio can objectively measure investigation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• 20 psychiatry trainees participated in a simulated psychiatric interview with a standardized patient at risk of suicide.
• The I² /Q ratio (relevant items squared / questions) was used to quantify investigation efficiency.
• Two examiners assessed the I² /Q ratio from filmed interviews.

Main Results:

• The mean I² /Q ratio was 1.13, with a range of 0.25 to 2.86.
• A positive correlation was found between the I² /Q ratio and residents' clinical experience (R=0.46, P=0.04).
• High inter-rater reliability for the I² /Q ratio was observed (ICC=0.94).

Conclusions:

• The I² /Q ratio appears to be a consistent and quantitative measure of efficiency in assessing suicidal risk.
• Further research is needed to validate the I² /Q ratio in other clinical scenarios.