Below is a list of medical professionalism tools that we hope you find useful. To share your professionalism tool(s) for posting to this website, send an e-mail to info@abimfoundation.org. These tools can include assessments, surveys and other resources that can help individuals and organizations learn about, adopt, and practice medical professionalism.
Development of a Medical Professionalism Assessment:
An article in Medical Teacher describes the key issues to consider in developing a medical professionalism assessment program.
Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX):
ABIM’s mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX) focuses on the core skills that residents demonstrate in patient encounters. It can be easily implemented by attending physicians as a routine, seamless evaluation of residents in any setting. The mini-CEX is a 15-20 minute observation or “snapshot” of a resident/patient interaction. Based on multiple encounters over time, this method provides a valid, reliable measure of residents’ performance.
Peer-Patient Survey:
ABIM’s Peer-Patient Survey is a validated tool that assesses the patient experience of care in a physician office. The tool includes patient surveys, a peer survey, and a self-assessment survey. In a 2002 article describing the development of this instrument the majority of participants felt that the module provided a valuable learning experience, and the results could be used to improve their practices. In order to access the full tool, a physician must be enrolled in Maintenance of Certification. View a portion of the tool.
Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX):
The Professionalism Mini-Evaluation Exercise (P-MEX) is an assessment tool to evaluate professionalism in clinical training. Development of the P-MEX was funded by the ABIM Foundation. The tool is modeled on the mini-Clinical Examination Exercise (mini-CEX) format, and includes assessment of 24 behaviors that are reflective of professionalism. This instrument was tested on medical students who were completing clerkships in a variety of settings. Results indicate content and construct validity, as well as the value of the tool in promoting self-reflection regarding professionalism.
UMKC-SOM Climate of Professionalism Survey:
Drs. Jennifer Quaintance, George Thompson and Louise Arnold, medical professors at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, developed this instrument, which assesses the “professionalism climate” of a clinical setting from the perspective of medical students and faculty. This survey asks medical students 46 questions on the extent to which student peers, residents, and faculty act professionally in a clinical environment and the extent to which faculty teach about professionalism in that environment. Additionally, faculty answer 10 questions in which they assess their professionalism teaching. In a pilot assessment, the instrument was found to be valid and reliable. More information about the instrument and its potential uses can be found in this Academic Medicine article.
