Development and Validity of a Novel Transplant Operative Assessment Tool

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Transplant Surgery
• Assessment Tools

Background:

• Surgical education relies on assessment tools to identify trainee improvement areas.
• A novel Transplant Operative Assessment Tool was developed to enhance technical feedback for transplant surgery trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present validity evidence for a new operative assessment tool in transplantation surgery.
• To optimize technical feedback for surgical trainees in transplantation.

Main Methods:

• The Transplant Operative Assessment Tool assesses anatomy, technical skills, judgment, and communication across 5 competency levels.
• Content validity was established through literature review and expert interviews.
• Item response theory calibration was used to evaluate the tool and gather validity evidence.

Main Results:

• Eighty-two assessments were conducted on 28 trainees by 25 faculty surgeons across 4 programs.
• Internal structure validity showed a strong model fit (item infit 0.86-1.15) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94).
• Ratings positively correlated with training level (P < 0.01), demonstrating strong discriminatory power.

Conclusions:

• The study provides validity evidence for the novel Transplant Operative Assessment Tool.
• This instrument can effectively measure performance, track progress, and document competency.
• The tool has significant potential for providing valuable feedback to surgical trainees.