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Assessing health professionals

  • Lynda Taylor
    ,
  • John Pill
Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Abstract

Language tests are used in the evaluation of migrating health professionals’ readiness to practise safely and effectively. Such assessment is complex, involving policy and practice alongside questions of a moral and ethical nature. The chapter focuses on English language assessment of doctors—referred to as international medical graduates (IMGs)—to exemplify issues arising for all health professionals in any language. The initial section describes differing approaches to language assessment used in various jurisdictions internationally: the UK, Australia, and the USA. The next section links this assessment policy and practice to theoretical insights and research findings. It considers the scope of language proficiency and of what is testable in specific purpose language (LSP) tests, and describes the increased recognition in health-care contexts of the importance of effective communication for patient safety and positive clinical outcomes. Studies of the development of language tests for health professionals are cited to highlight the importance of collaboration between domain experts and test designers regarding test content, task format, and rating criteria. There is only limited evidence that LSP tests are better predictors than general purpose language tests of test takers’ ability to perform in a particular context; however, it is similarly uncertain whether general purpose tests are sufficient for such sensitive contexts as those in health care. The following section presents challenges and issues for LSP assessment for health professionals from three theoretical perspectives: authenticity, specificity, and inseparability; it also considers practical and policy constraints. The final section indicates further directions for research and wider ethical issues inherent in the global migration of health professionals.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 497-512

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/11/2013

Publication status

Published - 01/11/2013

Volume

1

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc., Japan, Australia, United States, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Denmark

ISBN (Print)

9780470655337

ISBN (Electronic)

9781118411360

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/338234
  • Scopus: 105026008266

Host publication title

The Companion to Language Assessment

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