EVALUATING MEDICAL RESIDENTS LITERATURE-APPRAISAL SKILLS

Background. Measuring critical-appraisal skills is a key step in asses sing physicians' abilities to engage in self-directed learning. The au thors developed an instrument to evaluate the abilities of residents t o critically appraise a journal article. Method. In 1991, 62 residents in the categorical internal medicine program at the New England Medic al Center were asked to respond to a questionnaire, evaluate a sample article, and complete a self-assessment of competence in evaluation of research. Critical-appraisal skill was determined by calculating the residents' deviations from a ''gold standard'' critique developed thro ugh a modified Delphi technique, using a panel of five physicians. Spe arman correlation coefficients were used to compare the residents' act ual and self-perceived abilities. Results. Twenty-eight residents retu rned the questionnaire, for a response rate of 45%. The composite scor e for the residents' objective assessments was 63% of the gold standar d, and was not significantly correlated with postgraduate year, prior journal club experience, or self-assessed critical-appraisal skill. Co nclusion. After further validation in other settings, the assessment i nstrument in this study may be used to objectively assess critical-rea ding skills. It may also provide feedback and measure outcomes for int erventions designed to improve critical reading.