Scorecard endoscopy: a pilot study to assess basic skills in trainees for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Surgical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Structured training models and courses are crucial for developing practical endoscopic skills.
• Assessing individual performance and progress within these training programs is essential.
• A novel scorecard system was developed and validated to meet this assessment need.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed scorecard system in assessing endoscopic training.
• To compare the learning curves and performance of novice physicians and students against experienced endoscopists.
• To determine if the scorecard system can differentiate between varying levels of endoscopic expertise.

Main Methods:

• Three groups were studied: novice physicians, novice students, and experienced endoscopists.
• Novice groups underwent a one-week training program including theoretical and practical components.
• Participants were assessed daily using the scorecard system by an experienced tutor, with data analyzed via a biosimulation model.

Main Results:

• All participants demonstrated significant improvement in scores over the one-week training period.
• Initial mean scores varied significantly, with experienced endoscopists scoring highest (72.0+/-5.8) compared to novice physicians (26.7+/-10.7) and students (33.4+/-5.3).
• By day six, scores increased substantially in novice groups (physicians: 62.2+/-6.6; students: 63.4+/-7.6), approaching but not reaching expert levels (86.6+/-4.3).

Conclusions:

• The developed training model and scorecard protocol effectively assess endoscopic proficiency and differentiate experience levels.
• This system can aid in reducing patient risks and shortening learning curves for new gastrointestinal endoscopists.
• The scorecard offers a method to identify and potentially exclude individuals with insufficient skills from performing procedures.