Brazilian version of Calgary-Cambridge Observation Guide 28-item version: cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties

OBJECTIVES: The search for appropriate tools to assess communicational skills remains an ongoing challenge. The Calgary-Cambridge Observation Guide (CCOG) 28-item version can measure and compare performance in communication skills training. Our goal was to adapt this version of the CCOG for the Brazilian cultural context and perform a psychometric quality analysis of the instrument. METHODS: Experienced preceptors (35) assessed videos of five medical residents with a simulated patient using the translated guide. For the cultural adaptation, we followed the methodological norms on synthesis, retro-translation, committee review, and testing. We obtained validity evidence for the CCOG 28-item version using confirmatory factor analysis and the Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM). RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an adequate level of goodness-of-fit. The MFRM reliability coefficient was high in all facets, namely assessors (0.90), stations (0.99), and items (0.98). The assessors had greater difficulty with attitudinal items, such as demonstration of respect, confidence, and empathy. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric indicators of the tool were adequate, a good potential for reproducing its Brazilian version as well as acceptable reliability for its use.

A new method for the assessment of patient safety competencies during a medical school clerkship using an objective structured clinical examination

INTRODUCTION: Patient safety is seldom assessed using objective evaluations during undergraduate medical education. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of fifth-year medical students using an objective structured clinical examination focused on patient safety after implementation of an interactive program based on adverse events recognition and disclosure. METHODS: In 2007, a patient safety program was implemented in the internal medicine clerkship of our hospital. The program focused on human error theory, epidemiology of incidents, adverse events, and disclosure. Upon completion of the program, students completed an objective structured clinical examination with five stations and standardized patients. One station focused on patient safety issues, including medical error recognition/disclosure, the patient-physician relationship and humanism issues. A standardized checklist was completed by each standardized patient to assess the performance of each student. The student's global performance at each station and performance in the domains of medical error, the patient-physician relationship and humanism were determined. The correlations between the student performances in these three domains were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 95 students participated in the objective structured clinical examination. The mean global score at the patient safety station was 87.59 ± 1.24 points. Students' performance in the medical error domain was significantly lower than their performance on patient-physician relationship and humanistic issues. Less than 60 percent of students (n = 54) offered the simulated patient an apology after a medical error occurred. A significant correlation was found between scores obtained in the medical error domains and scores related to both the patient-physician relationship and humanistic domains. CONCLUSIONS: An objective structured clinical examination is a useful tool to evaluate patient safety competencies during the medical student clerkship.