Strengthening competence of therapists‐in‐training in the treatment of health anxiety (hypochondriasis): V alidation of the A ssessment of C ore CBT S kills ( ACCS )

The concise measurement of clinical communication skills: Validation of a short scale

OBJECTIVE

There is a lack of brief rating scales for the reliable assessment of psychotherapeutic skills, which do not require intensive rater training and/or a high level of expertise. Thus, the objective is to validate a 14-item version of the Clinical Communication Skills Scale (CCSS-S).

METHODS

Using a sample of N = 690 video-based ratings of role-plays with simulated patients, we calculated a confirmatory factor analysis and an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), assessed convergent validities, determined inter-rater reliabilities and compared these with those who were either psychology students, advanced psychotherapy trainees, or experts.

RESULTS

Correlations with other competence rating scales were high (rs > 0.86-0.89). The intraclass correlations ranged between moderate and good [ICC_(2,2) = 0.65-0.80], with student raters yielding the lowest scores. The one-factor model only marginally replicated the data, but the internal consistencies were excellent (α = 0.91-95). The ESEM yielded a two-factor solution (Collaboration and Structuring and Exploration Skills).

CONCLUSION

The CCSS-S is a brief and valid rating scale that reliably assesses basic communication skills, which is particularly useful for psychotherapy training using standardized role-plays. To ensure good inter-rater reliabilities, it is still advisable to employ raters with at least some clinical experience. Future studies should further investigate the one- or two-factor structure of the instrument.

Development of a Scale for Assessing Basic Psychotherapeutic Skills

Abstract. Background: Well-established scales for the observation-based assessment of psychotherapy competence encompass multiple domains, require extensive rater training, and are rather cost-intensive. Objective: To develop a comprehensive but easy-to-administer instrument for the observation-based assessment of basic communication and counseling skills in both real and simulated patient encounters, the Clinical Communication Skills Scale (CCSS). Methods: We investigated the content validity and applicability of this scale. We then presented videos of simulated therapy sessions conducted by a competent vs. noncompetent therapist online to N = 209 laypersons and psychology students. Results: Results suggested a one-factorial solution. Internal consistency was excellent ( α = .94). For most aspects, convergent validity with established scales was moderate to high. The CCSS effectively differentiated between both levels of skill. Conclusions: The CCSS appears to be a feasible, reliable, and valid instrument. Nonetheless, its psychometric criteria should be investigated further in clinical samples, with licensed therapists, and in other languages.