Development and evaluation of an objective laparoscopic assessment tool: LapPass®

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Surgical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Laparoscopic surgery demands high technical skill, necessitating robust competency assessment for patient safety and effective training.
• Objective assessment tools are crucial for standardizing surgical training and credentialing.
• LapPass® was developed as an accessible simulation assessment tool for laparoscopic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and preliminarily evaluate LapPass®, an objective simulation assessment tool for laparoscopic surgery.
• To assess the usability, face validity, and content validity of the LapPass® system.
• To explore the potential of LapPass® for credentialing in laparoscopic surgery.

Main Methods:

• LapPass® domains were defined by consensus from the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ALSGBI).
• A survey assessed usability and validity among 13 assessors and 63 trainees.
• Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• LapPass® comprises four tasks: grasping/manipulation, simulated appendicectomy, cutting, and suturing.
• High Cronbach's alpha values (0.75-0.95) indicated good internal consistency for usability and validity across tasks for both assessors and trainees.
• Consensus confirmed tasks were usable and possessed face and content validity (median scores ≥ 4.0).

Conclusions:

• LapPass® shows promise as an objective tool for assessing fundamental laparoscopic skills.
• Further research is needed to determine its predictive validity in clinical settings.
• The tool has potential for use in surgical training and credentialing.