Diagnostic Scope

The Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence (VA-MeCo; Reiser et al., 2021) 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 (Kurtz, Silverman, Benson & Draper, 2003), CanMeds Framework (Frank & Danoff, 2007)], 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; Gartmeier, Bauer, Fischer, Karsten & Prenzel, 2011; Gartmeier et al., 2015).

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 (Tables 1-3) derived from a sample with N = 395 medical students is available for usage.

Table 1
Means (M) and Standard Deviations (SD) (N = 395) (Reiser et al., 2022)

A median split was carried out based on the semester of study. 47.97 % of the sample is in the 1st to 5th semester, 52.03 % of the sample is in the 6th to 15th semester.

Table 2
Semester of study (Reiser et al., 2022)

Notes. M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation, C = Advancing content, S = Providing structure, R = Building relationship.

Table 3
Sex (Reiser et al., 2022)

Notes. M = Mean, SD = Standard Deviation, C = Advancing content, S = Providing structure, R = Building relationship.

Test Concept

Theoretical Background

see "Abstract"

All Items

A list of all items can be found in the document „VA-MeCo Instruktion und Items“ (only in German available).

Administration

Application Ages

Medical students (age 17 and older).

Application Time

The average time for the measurement is about 40 minutes.

Evaluation

The VA-MeCo is a video-based test for measuring medical communication competence of medical students. It has sufficient content validity, high usability, and good reliability. In addition, there are positive findings on validity.

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.

References

• Frank, J. R., & Danoff, D. (2007). The CanMEDS initiative: implementing an outcomes-based framework of physician competencies. Medical Teacher, 29(7), 642–647. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590701746983

• Gartmeier, M., Bauer, J., Fischer, M. R., Hoppe-Seyler, T., Karsten, G., Kiessling, C., Möller, G. E., Wiesbeck, A., & Prenzel, M. (2015). Fostering professional communication skills of future physicians and teachers: effects of e-learning with video cases and role-play. Instructional Science, 43, 443–462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-014-9341-6 PSYNDEX Dok.-Nr. 0296831

• Gartmeier, M., Bauer, J., Fischer, M. R., Karsten, G., & Prenzel, M. (2011). Modellierung und Assessment professioneller Gesprächsführungskompetenz von Lehrpersonen im Lehrer-Elterngespräch. In O. Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia (Ed.), Stationen Empirischer Bildungsforschung. Traditionslinien und Perspektiven (pp. 412–424). Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag. PSYNDEX Dok.-Nr. 0332440

• Kurtz, S., Silverman, J., Benson, J., & Draper, J. (2003). Marrying content and process in clinical method teaching: enhancing the Calgary–Cambridge Guides. Academic Medicine, 78 (8), 802-809. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200308000-00011

• 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. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.08.020

• Reiser, S., Schacht, L., Thomm, E., Janssen, L., Schick, K., Berberat, P., Gartmeier, M., & Bauer, J. (2022). Datasets for: Scaling-up study - validation of the Video-Based Assessment of Medical Communication Competence - VA-MeCo. [Data set]. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5337

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]
• VA-MeCo test description (German) [PDF]
• VA-MeCo instruction and implementation guide (German) [PDF]
• VA-MeCo abstract in English [PDF]

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