Computer-Based Case Simulations for Assessment in Health Care: A Literature Review of Validity Evidence

Simulation for education and training in health-care professions has been widely applied. However, its value as an assessment tool for competence is not fully known. Logistical barriers of simulation-based assessments have led some health-care organizations to utilize computer-based case simulations...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evaluation & the health professions 2019-03, Vol.42 (1), p.82-102
Main Authors: Ward, Robyn C., Muckle, Timothy J., Kremer, Michael J., Krogh, Mary Anne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical assessment
Clinical decision making
Competence
Computers
Construct Validity
Decision making
Evidence
Health administration
Health care
Health technology assessment
Literature reviews
Medical personnel
Psychometrics
Quantitative psychology
Replication (Evaluation)
Reproducibility
Simulation
Summative Evaluation
Validity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Simulation for education and training in health-care professions has been widely applied. However, its value as an assessment tool for competence is not fully known. Logistical barriers of simulation-based assessments have led some health-care organizations to utilize computer-based case simulations (CCSs) for assessment. This article provides a review of the literature on the identification of psychometrically sound, CCS instruments designed to measure decision-making competence in health-care professionals. CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Ovid databases identified 84 potentially relevant articles published between January 2000 and May 2017. A total of 12 articles met criteria for inclusion in this review. Findings of these 12 articles indicate that summative assessment in health care using CCSs in the form of clinical scenarios is utilized to assess higher order performance aspects of competence in the form of decision-making. Psychometric strength was validated in eight articles and supported by four replication studies. Two of the eight articles reported evidence of construct validity and support the need for evidence based on a theoretical framework. This literature review offers implications for further research on the use of CCS tools as a method for assessment of competence in health-care professionals and the need for psychometric evidence to support it.
ISSN:0163-2787
1552-3918
DOI:10.1177/0163278717718609