Ophthalmic Simulated Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric for manual small-incision cataract surgery

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Cataract surgery is a common procedure requiring specialized skills.
• Assessing surgical competency in ophthalmology is crucial for patient safety and effective training.
• Existing assessment tools may not adequately capture the nuances of simulated small-incision cataract surgery (SICS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel assessment tool for simulated SICS.
• To evaluate the face, content, and construct validity of the tool.
• To assess the reliability of the developed assessment rubric.

Main Methods:

• Development of the SICS Ophthalmic Simulated Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric (Sim-OSSCAR) through qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Assessment of face and content validity by an international panel of experienced ophthalmologists.
• Evaluation of construct validity and reliability using recorded surgeries performed by novice and competent surgeons, with masked assessments by experts.

Main Results:

• The Sim-OSSCAR demonstrated good face validity (4.60/5.0) and content validity (4.5/5.0) as agreed upon by international experts.
• High interobserver reliability was observed, with 17 of 20 items having a Krippendorff α > 0.6.
• Competent surgeons performed significantly better than novices on the Sim-OSSCAR (P = .02), indicating good construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The Sim-OSSCAR is a newly developed and validated assessment tool for simulated SICS.
• The tool exhibits strong face and content validity, aligning with the International Council of Ophthalmology's standards.
• The Sim-OSSCAR holds potential as a valuable instrument in ophthalmic surgical education and competency assessment.