(BQ) Part 2 book “Practical guide to medical student assessment” has contents: Short case, objective structured clinical examination, mini clinical evaluation exercise, clinical work sampling, 360-degree evaluation, direct observation of procedural skills, and other contents. | I CHAPTER 11 | Key Features Test (KF) Description The key features test was originally developed by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) for its licensing examination. It is a clinical scenariobased paper and pencil test. A description of the problem is followed by a limited number of questions, usually two to three, that focus only on critical, challenging actions or decisions (Page & Bordage, 1995). Both write-in and short-menu formats can be used in the answer scripts. In the MCC licensing examination, the KF test is implemented along with the more conventional MCQ. Advantages • A more valid representation of clinical decision making skills (Page, Bordage, & Allen, 1995) • Objective marking scheme • Does not reward unnecessary thoroughness • KF of cases can be utilized in other examination formats such as MCQ and OSCE Limitations • Labor intensive to develop • Unfamiliarity of examiners and students with the format 46 Key Features Test (KF) 47 Evidence • High content validity with proper blueprinting (Page & Bordage, 1995) • 40 problems (approximately hour of testing time) are necessary to reach a desired reliability of (Page & Bordage, 1995) • A 15-problem KF examination has a reliability of — suitable for medium stakes examination (Hatala & N o r m a n , 2002) Example Topic: Seizure in an adult in a life-threatening situation Key features of this case with suggested answers KF-1 Generate provisional diagnosis of status epilepticus KF-2 Secure and maintain cardiorespiratory status KF-3 Begin initial therapy: normal saline, vitamin B, glucose, diazepam, and phenytoin KF-4 Elicit history regarding causes: alcohol, medication, drugs, diabetes KF-5 Order immediate exams: electrolytes, glucose, calcium, arterial blood gas, and brain CT Mr. "X," a 36-year-old man, is brought to the emergency room in your hospital by ambulance because he fell on the sidewalk unconscious while waiting for the bus. A witness immediately called an ambulance .
