Reviews
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2018)
https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2018.980

Are multiple-choice questions a good tool for the assessment of clinical competence in Internal Medicine?

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Received: 7 January 2018
Published: 20 June 2018
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Multiple-choice questions, clinical competence, pass mark criteria.
Internal Medicine, medical education,

Authors

Flavio Tangianu
Internal Medicine, S. Martino Hospital, Oristano, Italy.
Antonino Mazzone
Medical Department, Internal Medicine, ASST Ovest-Milanese, Legnano (MI), Italy.
Franco Berti
Internal Medicine, S. Camillo Forlanini, Roma, Italy.
Giuliano Pinna
Internal Medicine, Asti, Italy.
Irene Bortolotti
Managing Director-Planning Congressi, Bologna, Italy.
Fabrizio Colombo
Internal Medicine, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy.
Carlo Nozzoli
Internal Medicine and Emergency, Careggi Hospital, Firenze, Italy.
Micaela La Regina
Internal Medicine, S.S. Risk Management, Presidio Ospedaliero Unico del Levante Ligure, La Spezia, Italy.
Antonio Greco
Geriatric Department, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy.
Cristina Filannino
Department of Government, Health and not for profit, Luigi Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Mauro Silingardi
Internal Medicine, Bologna, Italy.
Roberto Nardi
nardidoc48@gmail.com
Internal Medicine, Bologna, Italy.
There are many feasible tools for the assessment of clinical practice, but there is a wide consensus on the fact that the simultaneous use of several different methods could be strategic for a comprehensive overall judgment of clinical competence. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a well-established reliable method of assessing knowledge. Constructing effective MCQ tests and items requires scrupulous care in the design, review and validation stages. Creating high-quality multiple-choice questions requires a very deep experience, knowledge and large amount of time. Hereby, after reviewing their construction, strengths and limitations, we debate their completeness for the assessment of professional competence.

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Are multiple-choice questions a good tool for the assessment of clinical competence in Internal Medicine? (2018). Italian Journal of Medicine, 12(2), 88-96. https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2018.980

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