Personality assessment in healthcare

Lyn Dale, Assessment Psychologist and Senior Assessment Manager for the Cambridge Personal Styles Questionnaire (CPSQ)

Cambridge Assessment

Is there a disposition for healthcare and can you measure it? Trying to answer the first question researchers started compiling lists of desirable characteristics of a good doctor (and undesirable of a bad one). Character checklists are a starting point for appreciating what people value in healthcare professionals, but developments in psychometric measurement have advanced our understanding of traits that underpin those personal capabilities. We have also learnt that traits can trigger vulnerabilities and the dark side of personality in professions with specific pressures and ‘emotional labour’ requirements.

From my experience of using a personal styles assessment in healthcare, it is unlikely there is one ideal profile, but instead there are behavioural competencies to be screened for and developed, or at-risk triggers identified to pre-empt career or wellbeing difficulties. There are new frameworks and ideas such as predictive analytics for applying personality assessment, all of which offer benefits to healthcare education and workplace.

You will learn about:

• Personality traits that matter to performance, professionalism and wellbeing.
• Psychometric personality measurement and theories that underpin it.
• A personality styles tool developed in collaboration with healthcare education.
• How to use personality assessment.