Assessing psychiatric competencies: what does the literature tell us about methods of workplace-based assessment?

Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) is becoming a key component of post-graduate medical training in several countries. The various methods of WPBA include: the long case; multisource feedback (MSF); Mini-Clinical Examination (mini-CEX); Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS); case-based discussion (CbD); and journal club presentation. For each assessment method, we define what the approach practically involves, then consider the key messages and research evidence from the literature regarding their reliability, validity and general usefulness. Chris Fitch is a Research Fellow at the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Research and Training Unit (CRTU) (4th Floor, Mansell Street, London E1 8AA, UK. Email: [email protected]). He is a sociologist with an interest in methodological innovation in assessment, and the challenges of living with a mental health problem in the community. Amit Malik is Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Collegiate Trainees’ Committee and a consultant psychiatrist employed by Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust. Paul Lelliott is Director of the CRTU and a consultant psychiatrist employed by Oxleas NHS Trust, where he works as a member of a community mental health team. Dinesh Bhugra is Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Head of the Section of Cultural Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, London. His research interests include psychosexual medicine, crosscultural psychiatry, schizophrenia, pathways into psychiatric care, self-harm and primary care. Manoharan Andiappan is a statistician at the CRTU and the Institute of Psychiatry. He is interested in assessment methods in psychiatry and mental health services research. Box 1 Key methods and instruments of WPBA