Use of video vignettes to assess medical school applicants’ empathetic abilities in Multiple Mini Interviews
Abstract Background: This study examined the feasibility of using a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) station featuring a video-based case to assess empathic abilities of medical school applicants. Methods: The study sample was composed of candidates who participated at admission interviews held in the MMI format at a medical school in South Korea. In this six-station MMI, one station included a 2-minute video clip of a doctor-patient communication situation to assess candidate emphatic abilities, and paper scenarios were used in the other five stations. Acceptability of the use of video-based case in the MMI by candidates was examined by investigating their perceptions of the MMI and the video-based case using a 41-item post-MMI questionnaire. Fairness of the test was assessed by means of differences in candidate perceptions and performance across different demographics or backgrounds. Construct validity was assessed by examining the relationship of candidate scores in the empathy station with those in other stations. The G-coefficient was analyzed to estimate reliability of the test. Results: Eighty-two questionnaires were returned, a 98.8% response rate. Candidates showed overall positive perceptions of the video-based case, which did not differ across demographics or backgrounds. There were no differences in candidates’ perceptions of the patient-doctor relationship presented in the video. Candidate performance in the empathy station was not affected by individual demographics or backgrounds. Nor candidate performance in the empathy station was associated with that of any other stations. The G-coefficient was 0.83, which demonstrated high reliability. Conclusions: The present study illustrates the feasibility of using the video-based case in MMIs to assess candidates’ empathetic abilities.