Validity and Reliability of the First Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Psychiatry in Iran

This study aims at the evaluation of validity and reli-ability of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in psy-chiatry and among the residents. Following assessments and a lot of discussions among all consultant psychiatrists in the country, nine 12-minute stations were designed. In each station, two examining raters completed the pre-viously designed checklists individually. Standardized patients were used in 8 of the stations. Face and content validity, construct validity, concurrent validity and inter-rater reliability, internal consistency and inter-station reliability were all assessed. Face and content validity of the test was reached after holding sessions with the presence of the consultants and chair of the country’s specialty board and also providing all practical goals while discussing them in different group meetings. Concurrent validity was evaluated after comparing OSCE scores for both the residents and their own consultants. Concurrent validity was assessed through evalu- ating correlation of OSCE scores with results of oral and written board exams, competency exams, and psychiatry entry exam, which actually showed an appropriate validity for this test. Assessment of test reliability using the inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, and inter-station reliability displayed an appropriate reliability for this OSCE. The first psychiatry OSCE had significant validity and reliability.