Developing an Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) for Microlaryngoscopy

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Oto-HNS)
• Medical Education
• Surgical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Microlaryngoscopy is a fundamental skill for Oto-HNS residents.
• Competency-based assessment tools are crucial for evaluating resident proficiency.
• Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) provides procedure-specific evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an OSATS tool specifically for adult microlaryngoscopy.
• To establish a reliable method for assessing resident competence in microlaryngoscopy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving two phases: OSATS development (Phase I) and a clinical pilot (Phase II).
• Phase I included expert interviews to define microlaryngoscopy steps and adapt a Global Rating Scale (GRS).
• Phase II involved a pilot study with 28 procedures to evaluate resident performance using the developed OSATS.

Main Results:

• A 34-item OSATS for microlaryngoscopy was created.
• Resident training level significantly correlated with higher OSATS scores.
• No significant correlation was found between case complexity and resident performance scores.

Conclusions:

• The developed OSATS enables competency-based assessment of microlaryngoscopy skills in residents.
• The tool demonstrated utility and intent for integration into residency training programs.