Content validity of a trainer's report: summative assessment in general practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice Training

Background:

• Summative assessment in general practice requires validated tools.
• A structured trainer's report was designed for vocational training assessment.
• Content validity is crucial before widespread adoption of assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the content validity of a proposed general practice trainer's report.
• To gather perspectives from doctors recently completing vocational training.

Main Methods:

• A postal questionnaire survey was distributed to 220 doctors who completed vocational training in 1994.
• Respondents were asked about the necessity and suitability of proposed report items for general practice assessment.
• A response rate of 73.3% was achieved.

Main Results:

• Over 85% of respondents agreed that the 31 proposed items are needed in general practice.
• For 26 items, significantly more respondents found them suitable for trainer assessment compared to those who disagreed.
• Analysis of free-text comments revealed specific concerns from respondents.

Conclusions:

• The proposed trainer's report demonstrates support for its content validity.
• Addressing the concerns raised by vocational trainees is important for successful implementation.
• Further refinement may be needed to fully meet user expectations.