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Gülay Karadere (Dipl.-Psych.)
Research Associate
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guek@leibniz-psychology.org
VA-MeCo
Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence
Short abstract
The VA-MeCo assesses basal medical communication competence of medical students. It is based on established standards of doctor-patient communication (Calgary-Cambridge Guide, CanMeds Framework) as well as on the Munich Model of professional interviewing skills. It includes 11 test items at the levels of advancing content, structuring, and establishing working relationships. Reliability: The internal consistency according to McDonald's Ω is ΩTotal= .94, ΩContent = .82, ΩStructure = .88, and ΩRelationship = .88. Validity: For content validity, findings from expert interviews are available. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the assumed three-factor internal structure. Regarding construct validity, a largely expectation-true pattern of findings of correlations with the constructs patient orientation, empathy, prior knowledge/experience, intelligence, social competence, and with the Big Five personality variables was found. Norms: A first set of norms is available from a sample of N = 395 medical students.
Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID). (2022). Open Test Archive: VA-MeCo. Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence. Available at: https://www.testarchiv.eu/en/test/9008435
Citation
Reiser, S., Schacht, L., Thomm, E., Janssen, L., Schick, K., Berberat, P. O., Gartmeier, M., & Bauer, J. (2022). VA-MeCo. Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence [Verfahrensdokumentation, Videomaterial (11 Aufgaben), Beispielitem, Instruktion und Items, SPSS-Syntax, Testauswertung]. In Leibniz-Institut für Psychologie (ZPID) (Hrsg.), Open Test Archive. Trier: ZPID.
https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.6598
Short information
Short Name VA-MeCo
English Name Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence
Authors Reiser, S., Schacht, L., Thomm, E., Janssen, L., Schick, K., Berberat, P. O., Gartmeier, M. & Bauer, J.
Published in Test archive 2022
Copyright/Licence Copyright Authors; CC-BY-SA 4.0
Key words Medical Students; Physicians; Medical Patients; Medical Education; Communication Skills; Professional Competence
Language versions deu
Construct Medical Communication Competence
Application age Medical students (age 17 and older).
Item number 11 tasks
Subscales Subtests: 1 Content, 2 Structure, 3 Relation
Application Time approx. 40 minutes
Interpretation time Few minutes per case
Internal consistency: according to McDonald's Omega, it is ΩTotal= .94, ΩContent = .82, ΩStructure = .88, and ΩRelationship = .88).
Evidence for content, factorial, and construct validity.
N = 395. Reference values: Means and SD.
Applications Research, Teaching
Diagnostic Scope
The VA-MeCo is a video-based Situational Judgement Test which assesses basic medical communication competence of medical students.
Procedure
The VA-MeCo comprises 11 test tasks, each with 3 - 5 answer options, in which the situational communication behaviour of the physicians presented is assessed at the dimensions of advancing content, structuring and establishing a good working relationship.
Background and Construction
The VA-MeCo is based on established standards of physician-patient communication (Calgary-Cambridge Guide, CanMeds Framework), and their implementation in the German National Competence-Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives (NKLM), as well as on a model of professional communication (Munich Model of Professional Conversation Competence).
Empirical Examination and Criteria
Reliability: The VA-MeCo is highly reliable (McDonald's Ω = .94 for the overall scale and for the three dimensions: ΩContent = .82, ΩStructure = .88 and ΩRelationship = .88).
Validity: The three dimensions were confirmed in a confirmatory factor analysis. Regarding construct validity, we could confirm a pattern of correlations with the constructs of patient orientation, empathy, prior knowledge/experience, intelligence, social competence as well as with the Big Five personality variables, which are mostly in line with expected associations.
Norms: A first proposal for a test norm derived from a sample with N = 395 medical students is available for usage.
Test Concept
Theoretical Background
see "Abstract"
First published in
Reiser, S., Schacht, L., Thomm, E., Figalist, C., Janssen, L., Schick, K., Dörfler, E., Berberat, P. O., Gartmeier, M. & Bauer, J. (2021). A video-based situational judgment test for medical student's communication competence in patient encounters: Development and first evaluation. Patient Education and Counseling, 105(5), 1283-1289.
Downloads
- VA-MeCo Task 1 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 2 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 3 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 4 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 5 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 6 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 7 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 8 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 10 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 12 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo Task 14 (German) [WEBM]
- VA-MeCo instruction and items (German) [PDF]
- VA-MeCo test interpretation (German) [PDF]
- VA-MeCo SPSS syntax [PDF]
- VA-MeCo example item (German) [PDF]
Feedback form
Feedback on the use of a procedure from the Open Test Archive of the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID) to the test author(s)
Contact information
Sabine Reiser, M. Sc., Universität Erfurt, Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Professur für Bildungsforschung und Methodenlehre, Nordhäuserstraße 63, D-99089 Erfurt
Dr. phil. Eva Thomm, Universität Erfurt, Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Nordhäuserstraße 63, D-99089 Erfurt
Laura Janssen, Technische Universität München Medical Education Center, Lehrstuhl für Medizindidaktik, medizinische Lehrentwicklung und Bildungsforschung, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nigerstraße 3, D-81675 München
Kristina Schick, Technische Universität München Medical Education Center, Ismaningerstraße 22, D-81675 München
Laura Schacht, Universität Erfurt; Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultät; Professur für Bildungsforschung und Methodenlehre; Nordhäuser Straße 63, D-99089 Erfurt
PD Dr. phil. habil. Martin Gartmeier, Teamleiter Forschung, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM Medical Education Center, Ismaninger Straße 22, D-81675 München
Prof. Dr. med. Pascal Berberat, Direktor, Technische Universität München Medical Education Center, Ismaningerstraße 22, D-81675 München
Prof. Dr. Johannes Bauer, Universität Erfurt, Professur für Bildungsforschung und Methodenlehre, Nordhäuser Straße 63, D-99082 Erfurt