Evaluating physician competency: What difference does it make?

Abstract

There are a number of skills that professional experts believe physicians in training should learn in order to be labeled competent practitioners. The beliefs of the experts should be subjected to the rigors of scientific investigation. This paper presents a system for evaluating clinical competency which is designed to test the beliefs of the experts as well as the skills of the practitioner. Four measures of clinical competency are included: data collection completeness, problem identification accuracy, interview skills, patient and physician assessment. Preliminary results suggest a more careful re-examination of beliefs about the skills considered necessary and sufficient in determining clinical competency. © 1978.