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Modifications
to a Structured Communication Adolescent Guide (SCAG) Blake K, Kutcher
M, Mann K, Murphy J, Wakefield S.
Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie
University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Background: The Structured Communication
Adolescent Guide (SCAG) was developed to facilitate standardized patient (SP)
feedback to medical students on interviewing ability. The reliability and validity
of the SCAG has been documented in populations of medical students and physicians.
We have identified specific areas of the guide that required modification. Prior
to using the research data to modify the SCAG we invited adolescent input on the
language and format of the SCAG.
Purpose: To incorporate the ideas
and opinions of adolescents into the process of modifying the SCAG.
Method:
Twenty adolescents (ages 13-18) were invited to a focus group. Eighteen adolescents
had no prior exposure to the SCAG. The adolescents watched a videotaped adolescent-physician
encounter and rated it using the SCAG. The adolescents were then divided into
four groups to discuss their experience of using the SCAG with members of the
research team.
Results: The feedback provided by adolescents has contributed
to the development of the SCAG-II. The overall number of items has been reduced
from 56 to 28 and the appearance of the guide has changed following suggestions
made by adolescents. Two sections have been combined and the number of global
rating sections has decreased to four.
Conclusion: Employing both
research results and adolescent feedback was an effective strategy for modifying
the SCAG. Studies are underway to assess the reliability and validity of the
SCAG-II with untrained adolescents of both sexes. The SCAG-II will be available
to physicians at this presentation. |
