The Validation of Surgical Simulators: A Technical Report on Current Validation Terminology as a Reference for Future...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• Decreased operative procedure volume for surgical trainees due to reduced working hours and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Development of simulation-based interventions for surgical skill training outside the operating theatre.
• Need for validation of simulation-based interventions to ensure appropriateness and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the definitions of "types of validity" in traditional surgical simulation literature.
• To present the contemporary, unitary framework of validity used by educational theorists.
• To highlight the divergence and overlap in validation terminology between these frameworks.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on surgical simulation validation.
• Comparison of traditional "types of validity" definitions with contemporary educationalist frameworks.
• Analysis of the influence of research context on terminology divergence.

Main Results:

• Inconsistent terminology in surgical simulation validation leads to confusion and misinterpretation.
• A clear overlap exists between traditional and contemporary validity frameworks.
• Divergence in definitions is partly influenced by the investigation's context.

Conclusions:

• Adopting contemporary validity definitions may present challenges in justifying the use of numerous surgical skill simulators.
• Standardizing terminology is crucial for clear communication and robust research in surgical simulation.
• This report serves as a reference for future surgical simulation validation research.