Validity evidence and use of the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment, Version 3.

To guide interprofessional education (IPE), a variety of frameworks have been suggested for defining competency in interprofessional practice, but competency-based assessment remains challenging. One self-report measure developed to facilitate competency-based assessment in IPE is the IPEC Competency Self-Assessment. It was originally described as a 42-item measure constructed on the four domains defined by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Expert Panel. Response data, however, identified only two factors labeled Interprofessional Interaction and Interprofessional Values. In this study, we tested a revised 19-item, two-factor scale based on these prior findings with a new sample (n = 608) and found good model fit with three items not loading on either factor. This led to a 16-item instrument, which was then tested with an additional sample (n = 676). Internal consistency was high, and scores for both subscales showed variance based on prior healthcare experience. The interprofessional interaction subscale was primarily comprised of items from the Teams and Teamwork domain, with one item each based on competencies from the Interprofessional Communication and Values/Ethics domains; and scores varied by year of enrollment. The interprofessional values subscale was comprised solely of items from the Values/Ethics domain. Scores for both subscales were strongly correlated with scores from the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale. This study further establishes the validity, reliability, and usability of an assessment tool based on interprofessional competency. The findings also suggest the constructs underlying the subscales may be affected differently by experience and training. Additional study using longitudinal data is needed to test this hypothesis.

Notes from the Field: Evaluating a Budget-Based Approach to Peer Assessment for Measuring Collaboration Among Learners on Interprofessional Teams.

Assessing interprofessional skills poses challenges for health professions educators. While competency frameworks define the skills graduating students should possess, they do not provide guidance for assessment. This brief report explores validity evidence for use of peer assessment to assess learners and provide feedback for improvement. The context was an online learning experience for 477 fourth-year students from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy who worked together on small interprofessional teams to care for a virtual geriatric patient. At the end of each case unit, students were given a budget of points to allocate among teammates to assess their communication and interprofessional collaboration. Ratings were averaged to provide learners with feedback about their performance. Scores were normally distributed, did not demonstrate a leniency effect, were moderately correlated with ratings that preceptors assigned to students, and had smaller correlations with knowledge scores and other case activity measures. Findings support budget-based peer assessment as a valid and feasible approach for differentiating between students with high interprofessional competency and those who may be deficient. Further exploration should focus on the longitudinal effect of peer assessment, how it may influence individual learning and team dynamics, and whether it could be used for other assessment purposes.