Development of a Reliable Multimedia, Computer-Based Measure of Clinical Skills in Bedside Neurology

Purpose. This study reports the development of reliable multimedia, computer-based measures of bedside neurology skills. Method. A consortium of neurologists and medical educators (1) identified bedside skills and (2) created a computer-based test. Test-item stems were multimedia clips of standardized patients. Options appeared as text. Sixty-one junior medical students responded to these items. Results. The 77-item test yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85. Subgroup item analysis resulted in reliability coefficients of 0.73 for the 20-question “pretest” (Test A) and 0.75 for the 20-question “posttest” (Test B). Conclusion. Two sets of test items were developed that can be used as outcome measures in studies that assess the effectiveness of educational interventions in bedside neurology.