Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory
Introduction Although the ECG is an important diagnostic tool in medical practice, the competency of ECG interpretation is considered to be poor. Diagnostic inaccuracy involving the misinterpretation of ECG can lead to inappropriate medical judgements and cause negative clinical outcomes, unnecessar...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2023-05-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e072097.full |
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| author | Shinji Inaba Toshi A Furukawa Osamu Yamaguchi Masatsugu Sakata Kazumichi Yamamoto Tomohiro Kaga Muhammad Wannous |
| author_facet | Shinji Inaba Toshi A Furukawa Osamu Yamaguchi Masatsugu Sakata Kazumichi Yamamoto Tomohiro Kaga Muhammad Wannous |
| author_sort | Shinji Inaba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Although the ECG is an important diagnostic tool in medical practice, the competency of ECG interpretation is considered to be poor. Diagnostic inaccuracy involving the misinterpretation of ECG can lead to inappropriate medical judgements and cause negative clinical outcomes, unnecessary medical testing and even fatalities. Despite the importance of assessing ECG interpretation skills, there is currently no established universal, standardised assessment tool for ECG interpretation. The current study seeks to (1) develop a set of items (ECG questions) for estimating competency of ECG interpretation by medical personnel by consensus among expert panels following a process based on the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) and (2) analyse item parameters and multidimensional latent factors of the test set to develop an assessment tool.Methods and analysis This study will be conducted in two steps: (1) selection of question items for ECG interpretation assessment by expert panels via a consensus process following RAM and (2) cross-sectional, web-based testing using a set of ECG questions. A multidisciplinary panel of experts will evaluate the answers and appropriateness and select 50 questions as the next step. Based on data collected from a predicted sample size of 438 test participants recruited from physicians, nurses, medical and nursing students, and other healthcare professionals, we plan to statistically analyse item parameters and participant performance using multidimensional item response theory. Additionally, we will attempt to detect possible latent factors in the competency of ECG interpretation. A test set of question items for ECG interpretation will be proposed on the basis of the extracted parameters.Ethics and dissemination The protocol of this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine (IRB number: 2209008). We will obtain informed consent from all participants. The findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-734d019746fc473896e482e00b13274a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-734d019746fc473896e482e00b13274a2025-02-01T18:20:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-05-0113510.1136/bmjopen-2023-072097Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theoryShinji Inaba0Toshi A Furukawa1Osamu Yamaguchi2Masatsugu Sakata3Kazumichi Yamamoto4Tomohiro Kaga5Muhammad Wannous6Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology and Hypertension, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, JapanprofessorDepartment of Cardiology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan2 Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, JapanDepartments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto, JapanEhime University, Matsuyama, JapanInstitute for Airway Disease, Hyogo, JapanIntroduction Although the ECG is an important diagnostic tool in medical practice, the competency of ECG interpretation is considered to be poor. Diagnostic inaccuracy involving the misinterpretation of ECG can lead to inappropriate medical judgements and cause negative clinical outcomes, unnecessary medical testing and even fatalities. Despite the importance of assessing ECG interpretation skills, there is currently no established universal, standardised assessment tool for ECG interpretation. The current study seeks to (1) develop a set of items (ECG questions) for estimating competency of ECG interpretation by medical personnel by consensus among expert panels following a process based on the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM) and (2) analyse item parameters and multidimensional latent factors of the test set to develop an assessment tool.Methods and analysis This study will be conducted in two steps: (1) selection of question items for ECG interpretation assessment by expert panels via a consensus process following RAM and (2) cross-sectional, web-based testing using a set of ECG questions. A multidisciplinary panel of experts will evaluate the answers and appropriateness and select 50 questions as the next step. Based on data collected from a predicted sample size of 438 test participants recruited from physicians, nurses, medical and nursing students, and other healthcare professionals, we plan to statistically analyse item parameters and participant performance using multidimensional item response theory. Additionally, we will attempt to detect possible latent factors in the competency of ECG interpretation. A test set of question items for ECG interpretation will be proposed on the basis of the extracted parameters.Ethics and dissemination The protocol of this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine (IRB number: 2209008). We will obtain informed consent from all participants. The findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e072097.full |
| spellingShingle | Shinji Inaba Toshi A Furukawa Osamu Yamaguchi Masatsugu Sakata Kazumichi Yamamoto Tomohiro Kaga Muhammad Wannous Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory BMJ Open |
| title | Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| title_full | Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| title_fullStr | Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| title_short | Protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ECG interpretation: expert consensus by the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method and cross-sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| title_sort | protocol for development of an assessment tool for competency of ecg interpretation expert consensus by the rand ucla appropriateness method and cross sectional testing using multidimensional item response theory |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/5/e072097.full |
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