Simulated assessment as a predictor of surgical technical skill.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Simulated assessment as a predictor of surgical technical skill.
IRAS ID
314325
Contact name
Ruth Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Surgical competency is an important topic currently, due to reduced working hours and reduced operative exposure. Simulation based assessment is an important solution to this, as it allows surgeons technical skill to be assessed in a controlled environment with no adverse affect to patients at the expense of training.
The usefulness of any assessment method must be demonstrated in terms of its efficacy and validity. Current literature demonstrates the effectiveness of simulated assessment by focusing on the ability to discriminate between different levels of trainees and comparisons to ‘gold standard’ assessment tools. However, the ultimate goal of simulation assessment is to demonstrate correlation with the real world. Fewer studies investigate this aspect.
Within this study we will assess the relationship between simulated surgery and real life surgery. Our primary objective is to identify if there is a correlation between the assessment of simulated technical skills, and the assessment of real life surgical skill.
We will also compare self assessment versus peer assessment versus consultant-level assessment.The simulation data will be taken from an existing educational simulation programme which London surgical trainees are part of at Imperial College London. The clinical assessment data will be collected across various hospitals in the South of England, by recording the camera footage already used in surgical procedures. The process of recording this footage will have no effect or change on the patients surgery or standard of care.
The study will run from 1/10/2022 - 1/5/2023. Once video footage has been received, patients and surgical trainees will have no further requirements from the study.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SC/0435
Date of REC Opinion
8 Nov 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion