UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

An Assessment Tool to Provide Targeted Feedback to Robotic Surgical Trainees: Development and Validation of the End-to-End Assessment of Suturing Expertise (EASE)

Haque, Taseen F; Hui, Alvin; You, Jonathan; Ma, Runzhuo; Nguyen, Jessica H; Lei, Xiaomeng; Cen, Steven; ... Hung, Andrew J; + view all (2022) An Assessment Tool to Provide Targeted Feedback to Robotic Surgical Trainees: Development and Validation of the End-to-End Assessment of Suturing Expertise (EASE). Urology Practice , 9 (6) pp. 532-539. 10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000344.

[thumbnail of An Assessment Tool to Provide Targeted Feedback to Robotic Surgical Trainees Development and Validation of the End-To-End As.pdf] Text
An Assessment Tool to Provide Targeted Feedback to Robotic Surgical Trainees Development and Validation of the End-To-End As.pdf - Published Version
Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 4 February 2026.

Download (463kB)

Abstract

Introduction:We created a suturing skills assessment tool that comprehensively defines criteria around relevant subskills of suturing and confirmed its validity.Methods:Five expert surgeons and an educational psychologist participated in a cognitive task analysis to deconstruct robotic suturing into an exhaustive list of technical skill domains and subskill descriptions. Using the Delphi methodology, each cognitive task analysis element was systematically reviewed by a multi-institutional panel of 16 surgical educators and implemented in the final product when content validity index reached ≥0.80. In the subsequent validation phase, 3 blinded reviewers independently scored 8 training videos and 39 vesicourethral anastomoses using EASE (End-to-End Assessment of Suturing Expertise); 10 vesicourethral anastomoses were also scored using RACE (Robotic Anastomosis Competency Evaluation), a previously validated but simplified suturing assessment tool. Inter-rater reliability was measured with intra-class correlation for normally distributed values and prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted Kappa for skewed distributions. Expert (≥100 prior robotic cases) and trainee (<100 cases) EASE scores from the non-training cases were compared using a generalized linear mixed model.Results:After 2 rounds of Delphi process, panelists agreed on 7 domains, 18 subskills, and 57 detailed subskill descriptions with content validity index ≥0.80. Inter-rater reliability was moderately high (intra-class correlation median: 0.69, range: 0.51-0.97; prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted Kappa: 0.77, 0.62-0.97). Multiple EASE subskill scores were able to distinguish surgeon experience. The Spearman's rho correlation between overall EASE and RACE scores was 0.635 (P =.003).Conclusions:Through a rigorous cognitive task analysis and Delphi process, we have developed EASE, whose suturing subskills can distinguish surgeon experience while maintaining rater reliability.

Type: Article
Title: An Assessment Tool to Provide Targeted Feedback to Robotic Surgical Trainees: Development and Validation of the End-to-End Assessment of Suturing Expertise (EASE)
Location: United States
DOI: 10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000344
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1097/upj.0000000000000344
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Urology & Nephrology, prostatectomy, robotics, suture techniques, education, medical, graduate, clinical competence, COMPETENCE, EVOLUTION, SKILLS
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci > Department of Targeted Intervention
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10218353
Downloads since deposit
0Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item