Low-fidelity exercises for basic surgical skills training and assessment

BackgroundThe goal of this study was to develop and validate low-fidelity exercises for basic surgical skills training and assessment.MethodsFive low-fidelity exercises were developed and administered to 40 participants. Participants were classified as novice or proficient based on level of training. Objective metrics were used for scoring. The cost for assembling 1 complete set of 5 exercises and all necessary supplies for practice and evaluation was $150. Once this set was assembled, the subsequent cost for replacement material was $5/participant examined.ResultsTwenty-four participants were categorized as novice and 16 as proficient. Proficient participants scored significantly higher than novice participants (P <.05) for exercises assessing needle-driving skills, 2-hand coordination, and knot tying, thus establishing construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .78, which demonstrates the exercises' reliability as a testing instrument.ConclusionsThese data provide preliminary evidence of construct validity and internal consistency for a cost-effective series of low-fidelity basic surgical skills exercises.