Evaluating communication skills in the objective structured clinical examination format: reliability and generalizability

In most objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), communication skills are assessed as an 'add-on' to history-taking stations, rather than in stations designed to assess communication skills in the broadest sense. This study investigated the feasibility of developing such stations. In part one, 60 clinical clerks and 36 residents were rated in four 10-min emotionally charged situations portrayed by standardized patients. Inter-rater …