Baig, L: Construct Validity of Instruments Assessing Clinica

There is a need to evaluate the evidence for construct validity of high stake assessment tools used for assessing clinical competence of physicians. The focus has been on reliability which is a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity. This monograph will discuss psychometric evaluation of assessment instruments focussing on validity. The research addressed in this monograph has utilized the multitrait multimethod matrix (MTMM) approach introduced by Campbell and Fisk and deliberated on its historical background and usefulness. Three traits, doctor-patient relationship, clinical competence, and communication skills were assessed in OSCEs, ITERs and clinical assessments. There was evidence for both convergent and divergent validity for clinical competence, doctor-patient relationships, and communications. There is evidence for the construct validity of all three traits across three methods. The MTMM approach,currently underutilized, could be profitably employed to estimate the degree of evidence for validating complex constructs like, clinical competence.