Validation of a realistic simulator for veterinary gastrointestinal endoscopy training

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Surgical Simulation
• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Background:

• Flexible endoscopy is crucial for diagnosing and treating canine gastrointestinal diseases.
• Effective training tools are needed to develop proficiency in these complex procedures.
• Current training methods may lack realism and standardized skill assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the face, content, and construct validity of Simuldog, a novel realistic composite simulator for canine gastrointestinal flexible endoscopy training.
• To assess the simulator's utility for teaching and evaluating basic endoscopic procedures like esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), gastric biopsy (GB), and foreign body removal (FBR).

Main Methods:

• Construct validity was determined by comparing performance metrics (completion time, rating scales) between novice (n=30) and expert (n=15) veterinary endoscopists.
• Face and content validity were assessed via a 5-point Likert-type scale questionnaire.
• Internal consistency and inter-rater agreement of performance rating scales were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Novices required significantly more time and achieved lower performance scores than experts for EGD, GB, and FBR (p<.010).
• The simulator demonstrated excellent face validity, with both groups finding the endoscopy scenarios highly realistic.
• Good inter-rater agreement and internal validity were found for the performance rating scales.

Conclusions:

• Simuldog is the first validated model specifically designed for training and assessing small animal gastrointestinal endoscopy techniques.
• The simulator is highly valued by experts for its realism and utility in veterinary training and skill assessment.
• Simuldog offers a realistic and effective platform for improving canine gastrointestinal flexible endoscopy proficiency.