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Use of computers to test orthopedic knowledge.

Valid, reliable evaluation of orthopedic knowledge is an essential part of our efforts to maintain a high quality of orthopedic practice and education. Current methods of evaluation have made important contributions to the field of orthopedics and will continue to do so, but they have limitations. Computers currently help score and interpret test results as well as evaluate test items. With the development of item banks, computers can aid in test and item construction. Development of a central computer item bank with appropriate programming for specialized test construction would allow computerized test administration on home computers. The most exciting potential contribution of computers to evaluation of orthopedic knowledge will be in the development of computer simulations. Computer simulations can closely replicate the processes of making a diagnosis, directing treatment, or planning and guiding the performance of a procedure and thereby overcome some limitations of current tests. Developing methods of measuring student performance on simulations and establishing the validity and reliability of simulations as evaluation instruments will require considerable effort, but they offer the promise of providing an important method of assessing orthopedic knowledge.