General principles to consider when designing a clinical communication assessment program.

Kiessling C; Tsimtsiou Z; Essers G; van Nuland M; Anvik T; Bujnowska-Fedak MM; Hovey R; Joakimsen R; Perron NJ; Rosenbaum M; Silverman J

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.027

Back

Journal article

General principles to consider when designing a clinical communication assessment program.

Kiessling C Department Assessment, Brandenburg Medical School, Neuruppin, Germany.
Tsimtsiou Z Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: zoitsimtsiou@yahoo.gr.
Essers G Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
van Nuland M Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Anvik T UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Bujnowska-Fedak MM Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Hovey R Division of Oral Health & Society, Montreal, Canada.
Joakimsen R UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Perron NJ Unit of Development and Research in Medical Education, Geneva Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Rosenbaum M Department of Family Medicine and Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA.
Silverman J School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

2017-04-12

Published in:

Patient education and counseling. - 2017

Education, Medical, Undergraduate

English OBJECTIVES
Assessment of clinical communication helps teachers in healthcare education determine whether their learners have acquired sufficient skills to meet the demands of clinical practice. The aim of this paper is to give input to educators when planning how to incorporate assessment into clinical communication teaching by building on the authors' experience and current literature.

METHODS
A summary of the relevant literature within healthcare education is discussed, focusing on what and where to assess, how to implement assessment and how to choose appropriate methodology.

RESULTS
Establishing a coherent approach to teaching, training, and assessment, including assessing communication in the clinical context, is discussed. Key features of how to implement assessment are presented including: establishing a system with both formative and summative approaches, providing feedback that enhances learning and establishing a multi-source and longitudinal assessment program.

CONCLUSIONS
The implementation of a reliable, valid, credible, feasible assessment method with specific educational relevance is essential for clinical communication teaching.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
All assessment methods have strengths and limitations. Since assessment drives learning, assessment should be aligned with the purpose of the teaching program. Combining the use of different assessment formats, multiple observations, and independent measurements in different settings is advised.

Language