A new approach to the assessment of physicians' performance in practice using undetected standardized (simulated) patients is discussed. Case-specific performance criteria were established for seven standardized patients and then the patients were introduced into the practices of family physicians. (Authors/MLW)

This study examined the effects of similarity to prior examples in predicting errors in dermatologic diagnosis. Two interpretations about the acquisition of expertise are independent cues and instance-based categorization. The subjects (N=16) were first-year family medicine residents from McMaster University (Ontario). (MLW)

The relationship between performance on a simulated patient and a real patient presenting a similar clinical problem is examined. Ten residents in family and internal medicine interviewed and examined four actual and four simulated patients and correctly identified 67 percent as real or simulated. (Author/MLW)