Publisher's Synopsis
The selection of reliable and valid methods for evaluating clinical reasoning is therefore a critical step in the delivery of the medical curriculum. This is especially so given the widespread introduction of integrated, problem-based learning (PBL) curricula in medical schools over the last two decades. In contrast to more traditional, discipline-based courses, in which acquisition of clinical reasoning expertise tended to be haphazard and heavily dependent on the nature and quality of the individual student's clinical experience and supervision, PBL places formal emphasis on the teaching and development of medical problem-solving skills. There is, therefore, both a need for these skills to be formally assessed and for the method of assessment to reflect the philosophy and method of tuition. The purpose of this book is to examine the nature of the clinical reasoning process, its development in relation to clinical expertise and the methods available for its assessment and evaluation.
