A structured communication adolescent guide (SCAG): assessment of reliability and validity

Abstract

The SCAG is a reasonably valid tool for use in guiding an encounter with an adolescent patient. However, 2 sections require modifications to improve their reliability and thus the SCAG's overall performance. Our results suggest that the SCAG shows promise as a potentially useful teaching resource in undergraduate medical education in adolescent medical interviewing.

Adolescent interviewing skills: effect of feedback

“…The two cases incorporated a medical complaint (abdominal pain/headaches) and a sensitive adolescent topic (sexual orientation/bullying). The SP pairs were trained to give feedback and to score residents according to the Structured Communication Adolescent Guide (SCAG; Appendix S1 – online supporting information) …”

Lessons learned from an adolescent simulated patient educational program: Five years of experience

“…Coming out of role might have been difficult for our adolescent SPs, consequently reporting that giving feedback is quite difficult. Perhaps, instruments like the structured communication adolescent guide (SCAG) (Blake et al 2005) are helpful for the adolescent SPs in giving feedback to students, although validation of the SCAG in our setting would be necessary.…”

“…The second research theme focuses on structured feedback provided to students by adolescent SPs. Adolescent SPs can effectively teach interviewing skills to medical students by giving structured feedback (Blake et al 2000(Blake et al , 2005. Instruments such as the structured communication adolescent guide (SCAG) developed by Blake and colleagues can be helpful for adolescent SPs in providing feedback (Blake et al 2005).…”

Minding the gap: training in adolescent medicine when formal training programmes are not available

“…It is based on the five steps of learning new skills: presentation of theory; discussion about implementation; practice in a simulated setting; feedback on performance; and coaching for transfer of skills into the work environment 27. Simulation-based medical education is a rapidly growing field that has become a powerful force in addressing patient safety through quality-care training 9 10 11 33 34 35. Training in communication with adolescents utilising a simulated patient is therefore a significant means to improve communication skills of practitioners who encounter adolescents in their clinical work 11 28 33.…”

“…Medical centres that provide fellowship programmes in adolescent medicine also offer short periods of clinical exposure to adolescent health issues to residents and primary care practitioners in various specialties, such as paediatrics, family medicine and internal medicine 5 6 7 8. Several undergraduate and postgraduate educational programmes in adolescent medicine have included in their curricula simulated patient-based education to improve practitioners’ communication skills with adolescents 9 10 11…”