Primary care judgments of nurses and physicians, 1976-1978

The purpose of the study was to measure the clinical judgments of health professionals in relation to a panel of eight national experts in the specific area of hypertension. A 600-item questionnaire, known as the Clinical Simulation Test, was given to 173 respondents who were divided into six groups: family practice physicians, nurse practitioners with master's degrees, certified nurse practitioners, public health nurses, pre-medical students, and nursing students. The instrument simulates the process of diagnosis, treatment, and management of a 46-year-old caucasian male with essential hypertension. The test contains eleven sections and three diagnostic tests. Eight of the test sections require the respondent to choose from among a list of possible actions. Three sections are open-ended and require the respondent to identify relevant patient data or list patient problems. Data also include demographic information about the respondents of the study and an evaluation of the test instrument by the respondents.