The efficacy of using simulated patients (SPs) to train clinical interviewing skills in pre-practicum- and practicum-level mental health clinicians was evaluated compared to the use of traditional role-play with peers. Participants, regardless of group, engaged in a 15-minute videotaped simulated clinical session with an SP as a pre- and post-test measurement and completed five laboratory sessions, either utilizing role-play with peers or with an SP. Participants' counseling self-efficacy (CSE), measured by the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE); state anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Version Y-1 (STAI Y-1); and self-reflective anxiety, measured by the Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (FNE), were assessed pre- and post-intervention. An inventory to evaluate participants' clinical competency acquisition, the Skills in Psychological Interviewing: Clinical Evaluation Scale (SPICES), was developed for the study. All participants, regardless of group, improved significantly on all measurements except fear of negative evaluation. No differences were observed between groups on outcome variables. However, all participants' pre- and post-test interaction with the SP may account for these improvements. CSE, state anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation were found to account for a small amount of variance in clinical competency acquisition in this study. The piloted SPICES scale exhibited good validity and strong inter-rater reliability estimates. Results support the efficacy of these training methods in decreasing student clinicians' anxiety levels and in increasing students' CSE and skill acquisition; furthermore, a clinical competency measure is introduced.

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This is a retrospective study utilizing data complied over the past two years during the formative assessment process by the University of South Florida (USF) Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) in the development of the new audiology clinical doctoral (Au.D.) program. Final adoption of the new certification standards in audiology was received in 1997 and several Au.D. programs have been implemented since that time. This study responds to the requirements of appropriate assessment and documentation of clinical skill acquisition across the academic and clinical training program. The purpose of this review was to complete a qualitative analysis of the data gathered previously to determine indicators of clinical competency specific to the USF Au.D. program. This study focused on determining minimal knowledge and clinical skills that should be acquired at the end of the second and third years relative to competencies outlined in Standard IV-D: Evaluation and Standard IV-E: Treatment. Expectations relative to skills that audiology students should possess at designated points in the educational process are pertinent to developing effective tools for assessing clinical performance. Two focus group discussion sessions were held. One group included USF audiology academic and clinical faculty and the other group was composed of external practicing audiologists who provide supervision for audiology students in extern assignments. Participation was on a voluntary basis and anonymity was maintained. A guided discussion format was followed to obtain information about their expectations for student clinical competency levels at the end of the second and third years of study. The analysis of the data set included a review and summary of comments and ratings completed by the participants. The summary provided a highlight of key points, trends, and similarities/differences in the ratings provided by the two groups.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2001. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 63 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This is a retrospective study utilizing data complied over the past two years during the formative assessment process by the University of South Florida (USF) Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) in the development of the new audiology clinical doctoral (Au.D.) program. Final adoption of the new certification standards in audiology was received in 1997 and several Au.D. programs have been implemented since that time. This study responds to the requirements of appropriate assessment and documentation of clinical skill acquisition across the academic and clinical training program. / The purpose of this review was to complete a qualitative analysis of the data gathered previously to determine indicators of clinical competency specific to the USF Au.D. program. This study focused on determining minimal knowledge and clinical skills that should be acquired at the end of the second and third years relative to competencies outlined in Standard IV-D: Evaluation and Standard IV-E: Treatment. Expectations relative to skills that audiology students should possess at designated points in the educational process are pertinent to developing effective tools for assessing clinical performance. Two focus group discussion sessions were held. / One group included USF audiology academic and clinical faculty and the other group was composed of external practicing audiologists who provide supervision for audiology students in extern assignments. Participation was on a voluntary basis and anonymity was maintained. A guided discussion format was followed to obtain information about their expectations for student clinical competency levels at the end of the second and third years of study. The analysis of the data set included a review and summary of comments and ratings completed by the participants. The summary provided a highlight of key points, trends, and similarities/differences in the ratings provided by the two groups. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Competence committees are groups of educators that monitor the progress of medical trainees and decide when they should be promoted to the next stage of training. They represent an important part of modern-day competency-based medical education programs, yet relatively little is known about their implementation and decision-making practices. This thesis seeks to fill a critical gap in the literature by generating empirical evidence with respect to competence committee implementation and decision-making practices across multiple programs. The first data chapter uses a multi-method approach to examine competence committee implementation practices at a Canadian institution over a three-year period. The second and third chapters examine how individuals and groups make promotion decisions, respectively. These chapters also consider the role of non-traditional data sources, such as anecdotal evidence, in competence committees’ decision-making processes. The final data chapter considers the role of social influences and power and examines how factors such as members’ position on the committee, gender, and race/ethnicity influence their contributions to the committee. This thesis provides insight into some of the challenges that exist with respect to competence committee implementation and offers potential solutions based on best practices across multiple programs. It also highlights factors that can influence competence committee decision making and discusses ways that their decision-making processes can be optimized. Broader implications of this thesis, including the role of groups in solving complex problems and the importance of diversity (both in terms of demographics and functional specialization) in ensuring good decision-making outcomes, are also discussed. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Competence committees are groups of experienced health professionals and educators whose job is to determine whether physician learners (i.e., residents) are ready to progress to the next stage of training and responsibility. These committees are relatively new, and as a result, we do not know very much about how they make decisions. Given the importance of competence committees in ensuring that physicians are able to provide high-quality and safe patient care, the purpose of this thesis was to examine competence committee implementation and decision-making practices at a Canadian academic centre. This took place in two parts. First, we studied competence committees over a three-year period using surveys, interviews, and observations. This helped us understand some of their benefits and challenges. Next, we conducted a series of experiments to understand how competence committee members make decisions both individually and as part of a group. These experiments also helped us understand how competence committees make sense of different types of data, such as prior knowledge about a resident or their assessors. Finally, we examined how various aspects of members’ social identities, such as their position on the committee, their gender, and their race/ethnicity, influence their contributions to the committee. Collectively, the findings of this thesis help to advance the scientific literature in the areas of medical education and group decision making. They can also be used to optimize competence committee operations, which can in turn positively impact patients, healthcare, and society.

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