PANSS rater training using Internet and videoconference: results from a pilot study.

Problems associated with the clinician-administered rating scales have led to new approaches to improve rater training. These include interactive, on-line didactic tutorials and live, remote evaluation of raters' clinical skills through the use of videoconferencing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this approach in training novice raters on the administration of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Twelve trainees with no prior PANSS experience completed didactic training via CD-ROM and two remote training sessions where they interviewed a standardized patient-actor while being remotely observed in real time and given feedback. Results found a significant improvement in trainees' conceptual knowledge and an improvement in trainees' clinical skills. The use of these technologies allows for training to be more effectively delivered to diverse sites in multi-center trials, and for evaluation of raters' applied clinical skills, an area that has previously been overlooked.