Validity Evidence for Procedure-Specific Competency Assessment Tools in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery: A...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Assessment Tools

Background:

• Surgical education is transitioning from time-based training to competency-based assessment.
• Objective, procedure-specific assessment instruments are crucial for this shift.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive evaluation of such tools in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate existing procedure-specific assessment instruments in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.
• To assess the validity, methodological rigor, and educational utility of identified instruments.
• To identify gaps in current assessment tools for competency-based surgical training.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across 8 databases.
• Studies with procedure-specific operative assessment instruments were included; generic scales were excluded unless adapted.
• Two independent reviewers assessed validity, rigor, and utility using established criteria and scoring tools.

Main Results:

• Nine studies evaluating 8 instruments met the inclusion criteria for cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.
• Only one instrument was designed for surgeon performance assessment; others focused on residents.
• No instrument achieved maximum scores for validity or rigor, and educational utility data was limited.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant scarcity of validated, procedure-specific assessment instruments in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.
• The identified instruments show variability in quality, with limitations in validity evidence and educational utility reporting.
• Developing and validating robust assessment tools is essential for advancing competency-based surgical education models.