ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the rationale and methods used in the assessment of ethical practice in primary care. It describes some problems with ethical assessment in primary care. The chapter discusses the methods used to assess UK general practitioners (GPs) both as part of their training and when they are independent practitioners. Assessment is 'any process that is used to estimate learning for whatever purpose'. Assessment can be knowledge based, skill based or attitude based. Knowledge-based ethical assessment measures a learner's recollection of ethics and law-based facts. It is important that assessment is linked to the knowledge skills and attitudes that the practitioners are expected to develop. In other words, the assessment should be 'curriculum-aligned'. Two measures are important, namely, validity and reliability. Assessment can be valid and/or reliable (or neither). A valid assessment measures what it sets out to measure. The clinical skills examination is a practical test of consultations skills.
