Strabismus surgical skills assessment tool: development of a surgical assessment tool for strabismus surgery training

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a structured tool to assess strabismus surgical skills and to determine the face and content validity of this tool.

Design: Development of a surgical assessment tool and its validation by an expert panel.

Methods: A structured subjective evaluation form was developed to evaluate a trainee's technique and skill in strabismus surgery. The tool consists of strabismus surgery-specific components, such as conjunctival incision, muscle exposure, and suture placement, and global indices, such as hemostasis, tissue control, and knowledge of instruments. Each of these components was evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. A survey of experienced strabismus surgeons was performed to establish the face and content validity of the tool. The results of the survey were used to amend the tool.

Results: The final tool comprises 10 strabismus surgery-specific competencies and 7 global indices. The final version of the tool was deemed to address the vital aspects of a strabismus surgical procedure (face validity), and the components of the assessment tool were deemed to assess appropriate competencies and skills associated with the procedure (content validity).

Conclusions: The strabismus surgery skill assessment tool is a structured quantitative instrument designed to aid surgical evaluation and training of ophthalmic surgical trainees. The Strabismus Surgical Skill Assessment Tool is a paper-based tool that is easy to use, provides the trainee with detailed feedback and a measure of progression of their surgical skills, and stimulates discussion between trainee and trainer to direct further training.