Many examinations are now delivered online using digital formats, the migration to which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The MRCPsych theory examinations have been delivered in this way since Autumn 2020. The multiple choice question formats currently in use are highly reliable, but other formats enabled by the digital platform, such as very short answer questions (VSAQs), may promote deeper learning. Trainees often ask for a focus on core knowledge, and the absence of cueing with VSAQs could help achieve this. This paper describes the background and evidence base for VSAQs, and how they might be introduced. Any new question formats would be thoroughly piloted before appearing in the examinations and are likely to have a phased introduction alongside existing formats.
Magon and colleagues highlight a number of relative strengths and weaknesses very reminiscent of those we have seen over the years in the development of similar services for children and adolescents. It is clear that we all have a lot of work to do to improve our approach to the transition from child to adult services. There was clear evidence that adult services can adapt to manage ADHD, but there is also a clear need for increased upskilling of clinicians in the practical management of medication and other treatments. I disagree with Magon and colleagues about the role of primary care and believe that treatment initiation and ongoing monitoring should, for the time being, remain in secondary care and that, because of the volume of work that will come our way, this will need to become a core rather than specialist task. As with other aspects of psychiatric care, there is a clear role for specialist nurses in delivering a significant proportion of the core care.
Prevention and Management of Violence: Guidance for Mental Healthcare Professionals Edited by Masum Khwaja, & Dominic Beer RCPsych Publications, 2013, £20.00 (pb), 144 pp. ISBN: 9781908020956 Violence is always a consideration for anyone working in the field of mental health. The remit of this
Domestic Violence and Mental Health Edited by Louise M. Howard, Gene Feder, and Roxanne Agnew-Davies RCPsych Publications, 2013, £15.00, pb, 120 pp. ISBN: 9781908020567 The aim of this book is to offer practical guidance on how to identify domestic violence and respond to patient disclosures in a
CBT for Anxiety Disorders: A Practitioner Book Gregoris Simos & Stefan G. Hofmann Wiley-Blackwell, 2013, £29.99, pb, 268 pp. ISBN: 9780470975534 This book includes contributions from renowned experts in the field of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders such as panic
