Using a Targeted OSCE Station to Measure Unprofessional Behavior

Mary L. Zanetti, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Eric J. Alper, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Wendy L. Gammon, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Kathleen M. Mazor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
David S. Hatem, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Sarah M. McGee, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Michele P. Pugnaire, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Abstract

Standardized patients are widely used in medical education but their use to assess professionalism is limited. With grant support from the Edward J. Stemmler, MD Medical Education Research Fund (“Stemmler Fund”) of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), the usefulness of standardized patients (SPs) in the assessment of professional behavior was investigated. A targeted professionalism OSCE station featuring a values conflict was written. A professionalism instrument was developed and subsequently revised during the course of the study, with the final version containing various components of American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) core set of eight professionalism attributes and several other scales in recent medical research.

Presented at the Ottawa Conference, 2006.