Non-technical skills assessments in undergraduate medical education: A focused BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 54

Abstract

Consensus on how to assess non-technical skills is lacking. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence regarding non-technical skills assessments in undergraduate medical education, to describe the tools used, learning outcomes and the validity, reliability and psychometrics of the instruments. A standardized search of online databases was conducted and consensus reached on included studies. Data extraction, quality assessment, and content analysis were conducted per Best Evidence in Medical Education guidelines. Nine papers met the inclusion criteria. Assessment methods broadly fell into three categories: simulated clinical scenarios, objective structured clinical examinations, and questionnaires or written assessments. Tools to assess non-technical skills were often developed locally, without reference to conceptual frameworks. Consequently, the tools were rarely validated, limiting dissemination and replication. There were clear themes in content and broad categories in methods of assessments employed. The quality of this evidence was poor due to lack of theoretical underpinning, with most assessments not part of normal process, but rather produced as a specific outcome measure for a teaching-based study. While the current literature forms a good starting position for educators developing materials, there is a need for future work to address these weaknesses as such tools are required across health education.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Morris Gordon

Morris Gordon, MBChB, PHD, MMed, is a Professor of Evidence Synthesis and Systematic Review, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.

Jeanne Farnan

Jeanne Farnan, MD, MHPE, is an Assistant Dean Curricular Development and Evaluation, and an Associate Professor, Section of Hospital Medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

Ciaran Grafton-Clarke

Ciaran Grafton-Clarke is an Academic FY1 Doctor and Honorary Fellow at the University of Leicester, School of Life Sciences, UK.

Ridwaan Ahmed

Ridwaan Ahmed, MD, is a General Practitioner in Lancashire UK, and Lecturer in Public Health Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.

Dawne Gurbutt

Dawne Gurbutt, PhD, is an Acting Director in the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at University of Central Lancashire, UK.

John McLachlan

John McLachlan, PhD, is Professor of Medical Education in the School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, UK.

Michelle Daniel

Michelle Daniel, MD, MHPE, is an Assistant Dean for Curriculum, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Learning Health Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.