Re-thinking clinical assessment: What can we learn from the medical literature?

This article explores the literature available in the field of medical education on the topic of clinical assessment, in order to suggest different ways of assessing clinical experience that may not have been considered within undergraduate radiography programmes. The medical literature is contrasted with the clinical assessment currently being used in a medical imaging programme in New Zealand, with the aim of offering suggestions that may benefit the assessment of the clinical and professional elements of radiography programmes more generally.The authors conclude that ideally students need to be assessed in the clinical domain by multiple assessors, with varied assessment methods used repeatedly over a period of time and with the provision of frequent and constructive feedback. Various methods of clinical assessment are suggested and it is emphasised that the methods selected need to be valid, reliable and psychometrically supported. This encourages an evidence-based practice approach that is supportive of on-going programme development and change.     

Associations Between Interparental Relationships and Experiences of Parenting Stress Among Mothers: The Mediating Role of Perceived Control

The current study investigated the potential benefits of relationships between parents whose children were friends (closure relationships) within a sample of 404 mothers. Associations between closure and three domains of parenting stress were explored. Mothers' perceived control was considered as a potential mediator of closure-stress associations. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher mean levels of closure were associated with lower levels of parenting stress related to child problem behaviors. Perceived control mediated the association between closure and parenting stress. The benefits of cross-household parental relationships for mothers' psychological wellbeing are discussed.     

Identifying Preschool Children with Asthma in Orange County

Airway changes related to childhood asthma occur early in the disease process. This pilot study focuses on the validation of the Breathmobile Case Identification Survey (BCIS) in preschool-age children in Orange County, CA. Fifty-two children from low-income Spanish-speaking families participated in the study. Thirteen children were identified as possibly having asthma from the survey results compared with 20 children diagnosed by an asthma specialist. We found that the complete seven-question survey had a sensitivity of 0.65 and a specificity of 0.94. An abbreviated three-question version had a sensitivity of 0.70 and a specificity of 0.84. Our data suggest that the abbreviated BCIS, which is simple and easily analyzed, may be a useful tool in identifying young children who are at risk for asthma and need further evaluation and appropriate therapy.