Face, content, and construct validation of the Bristol TURP trainer

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education

Background:

• Simulator validation is crucial for assessing training effectiveness.
• The Bristol transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) simulator lacked formal validation.
• This study addresses the need to validate the Bristol TURP simulator.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the face, content, and construct validities of the Bristol TURP simulator.
• To assess its utility as an endourology training tool.
• To provide evidence for its role in surgical simulation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized established validation methodologies for face, content, and construct validity.
• Employed structured quantitative surveys for face and content validity assessment.
• Assessed construct validity by comparing expert and novice performance using a validated scale and resection efficiency metrics.

Main Results:

• High face validity: 100% of participants found it a valuable training tool.
• Content validity: Most aspects were realistic (mean Likert 3.38-3.57/5), but bleeding simulation was lacking.
• Construct validity: Experts significantly outperformed novices (p < 0.001) across all performance measures.

Conclusions:

• The Bristol TURP simulator demonstrates face, content, and construct validity.
• While realistic in most aspects, bleeding simulation requires improvement.
• The study supports the continued use of this simulator in endourology training.