Evaluation of a computerized assessment package for general practitioner trainees.

A computerized assessment package for general practitioner trainees has been developed in order to measure the impact of teaching during the trainee year and to help identify areas of possible weakness in the knowledge base of trainees. The programme consists of an electronic questionnaire asking for background educational details, confidence rating scales, 60 multiple choice questions divided into 11 educational areas and a patient management problem to add variety and interest and to test decision making skills. A printout is produced at the end of the test summarizing the trainee's results and comparing these with the previous cohort of trainees. The programme was designed to be interesting and stimulating to the trainee by using colour and graphics, ensuring it was easy to use and providing instant feedback of results in comparison with their peer group. It was also designed to require the minimum intervention by trainers. Three sets of 70 trainees undertook the test in consecutive years with each trainee completing the assessment twice, once at the beginning of the trainee year and again towards the end of the year. In addition, a group of trainees completed a manual questionnaire asking them to rate certain aspects of the test. The results of the assessments showed a significant increase in knowledge in nearly all topic areas between the first and second tests. In general, the trainees' response to the test was positive with 63% stating it was useful in pinpointing areas of possible knowledge deficiency. The computer package described has been shown to be an effective and acceptable method for some aspects of trainee assessment.