| Direct observation in medical education: a review of the literature and evidence for validity. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 19642150 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
In 2000, the Accreditation Council for Medical Education introduced a new initiative that substantively changed the method by which residency programs are evaluated. In this new competency-based approach to residency education, assessment of performance became a main area of interest, and direct observation was offered as a tool to assess knowledge and skills. Despite being an inherent part of medical education as faculty and learners work together in clinical experiences, direct observation has traditionally been an informal and underused assessment method across all specialties. Residents and students report rarely being observed during their educational process, even though they value the experience. Reasons for this include a lack of faculty time, a lack of faculty skills, a potential stressful effect on the learner, and a perceived lack of validation of the assessment. This article examines the literature regarding the use of direct observation in medical education with a focus on validity evidence. We performed a PubMed search of articles pertaining to direct observation, using key words such as direct observation, performance observation, clinical observation, students, and residents. A subsequent search was conducted in known articles, focusing on variations of the term observation in the titles of articles and introducing the concept of clinical competence. In conclusion, direct observation is a unique and useful tool in the assessment of medical students and residents. Assessing learners in natural settings offers the opportunity to see beyond what they know and into what they actually do, which is fundamentally essential to training qualified physicians. Although the literature identifies several threats to its validity as an assessment, it also demonstrates methods to minimize those threats. Based on the current recommendations and need for performance assessment in education and with attention paid to the development and design, direct observation can and should be included in medical education curricula. |
| | |
Authors:
|
H Barrett Fromme; Reena Karani; Steven M Downing |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: The Mount Sinai journal of medicine, New York Volume: 76 ISSN: 1931-7581 ISO Abbreviation: Mt. Sinai J. Med. Publication Date: 2009 Aug |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-08-04 Completed Date: 2010-02-22 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0241032 Medline TA: Mt Sinai J Med Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 365-71 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. hfromme@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Clinical Competence* Education, Medical / methods*, standards* Educational Measurement / methods*, standards Humans Internship and Residency / methods, standards Reproducibility of Results Students, Medical* Teaching / methods |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Student-run health clinic: novel arena to educate medical students on systems-based practice.
Next Document: Evaluating the impact of the humanities in medical education.