Critical Synthesis Package: Interpreter Scale (IS)

Abstract

Abstract This Critical Synthesis Package contains: (1) a Critical Analysis of the psychometric properties and the application to health science education of the Interpreter Scale (IS), and (2) a copy of the IS instrument and the guide to the measure developed Desiree Lie, MD, MSEd. The IS is a brief assessment completed by the interpreter of a patient-practitioner encounter. It is designed to assess practitioner communication skills and is divided into two factors: Setting the Stage and Managing the Encounter. Responses are recorded either as done/not done or on a 5-point Likert-scale. Beyond the original validation study, the IS has been used in only two studies. It has been used with medical students and nurse practitioner students to measure training effectiveness. Although the IS has practical use, there are concerns with validity and effectiveness over time. Specifically, although a guide is provided that demonstrates practical examples for each factor, it lacks instructions on a composite score. The IS can be strengthened by addressing limitations in the original validation study and providing instructions about composite scoring. Future work needs to continue to build validity evidence for the instrument's scores by applying classical test theory and item response theory approaches to the modeling of the data including the exploration of differences in item functioning across sociodemographic groups, practice settings, and different languages.

Keywords

• Communication
• DREAM
• Directory and Repository of Educational Assessment Measures
• Interpreter Scale
• Patient Encounter