Face and Content Validity Between DaVinci and CMR Robotic Simulator among General Surgical Faculty

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education and Training
• Medical Simulation Technology
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Robotic surgery is increasingly adopted, necessitating effective simulation-based training.
• Evaluating the validity of surgical simulators is crucial for optimizing training programs.
• Two prominent simulators, DaVinci Skills Simulator (dVSS) and CMR Versius, require comparative assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the face and content validity of the dVSS and CMR Versius simulators.
• To assess simulator performance across surgeons with varying experience levels.
• To inform the development of simulation-based robotic surgical training programs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-over study involving 26 surgical faculty members.
• Standardized tasks performed on both dVSS and CMR simulators.
• Face and content validity assessed using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and statistical analysis (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Cronbach's α).

Main Results:

• The dVSS demonstrated significantly higher face and content validity compared to the CMR simulator (p <0.001 for both).
• The overall reliability of the assessment was good (Cronbach's α = 0.835).
• Most participants (80.8%) were novices with no prior exposure to either simulator.

Conclusions:

• The dVSS excels in realism and skill assessment for robotic surgery simulation.
• The CMR simulator offers acceptable validity for training, especially for novice surgeons.
• Further research with longitudinal data and expert cohorts is recommended to fully evaluate the CMR simulator's training potential.