Reliability testing of a modified MISTELS score using a low-cost trainer box.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Laparoscopic Surgery Training

Background:

• Simulation-based training, like the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), is standard in Western countries for skill acquisition and competency evaluation.
• The McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS) metrics are used for practical evaluation.
• Adapting FLS for resource-limited settings with low-cost trainer boxes necessitates evaluating its impact on MISTELS reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of a modified MISTELS system when implemented with a low-cost trainer box.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving surgical residents in Tunisia (April-August 2016).
• Assessed reliability of a modified MISTELS (three tasks) using a low-cost trainer box.
• Reliability evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for internal consistency, inter-rater, and test-retest measures.

Main Results:

• Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.929, indicating acceptable reliability.
• Inter-rater reliability (ICC) was 1, signifying excellent agreement between raters.
• Test-retest reliability (ICC) was 0.95, demonstrating excellent consistency over time.

Conclusions:

• The use of a low-cost trainer box does not compromise the reliability of the modified MISTELS score.
• The modified MISTELS score demonstrates reliability for assessing surgical residents' technical skills in resource-limited environments.