The objective structured video exam for assessment of communication skills

Objectives (i) To design a new, quick and efficient method of assessing spe cific cognitive aspects of trainee clinical communication skills, to be kno wn as the Objective Structured Video Exam (OSVE) (Study 1); (ii) to prepare a scoring scheme for markers (Study 2); and (iii) to determine reliability and evidence for validity of the OSVE (Study 3). Methods Study 1 describes how the exam was designed. The OSVE assesses the student's recognition and understanding of the consequences of various comm unication skills. In addition, the assessment taps the number of alternativ e skills that the student believes will be of assistance in improving the p atient-doctor interaction. Study 2 outlines the scoring system that is base d on a range of 50 marks. Study 3 reports inter-rater consistency and prese nts evidence to support the validity of the new assessment by associating t he marks from 607 1st year undergraduate medical students with their perfor mance ratings in a communication skills OSCE. Setting Medical school, The University of Liverpool. Results Preparation of a scoring scheme for the OSVE produced consistent ma rking. The reliability of the marking scheme was high (ICC=0.94). Evidence for the construct validity of the OSVE was found when a moderate predicted relationship of the OSVE to interviewing behaviour in the communication ski lls OSCE was shown (r=0.17, P < 0.001). Conclusion A new video-based written examination (the OSVE) that is efficie nt and quick to administer was shown to be reliable and to demonstrate some evidence for validity.