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Simulation-based ureteroscopy skills training curriculum with integration of technical and non-technical skills: a randomised controlled trial

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Abstract

Background

Current training modalities within ureteroscopy have been extensively validated and must now be integrated within a comprehensive curriculum. Additionally, non-technical skills often cause surgical error and little research has been conducted to combine this with technical skills teaching. This study therefore aimed to develop and validate a curriculum for semi-rigid ureteroscopy, integrating both technical and non-technical skills teaching within the programme.

Methods

Delphi methodology was utilised for curriculum development and content validation, with a randomised trial then conducted (n = 32) for curriculum evaluation. The developed curriculum consisted of four modules; initially developing basic technical skills and subsequently integrating non-technical skills teaching. Sixteen participants underwent the simulation-based curriculum and were subsequently assessed, together with the control cohort (n = 16) within a full immersion environment. Both technical (Time to completion, OSATS and a task specific checklist) and non-technical (NOTSS) outcome measures were recorded with parametric and non-parametric analyses used depending on the distribution of our data as evaluated by a Shapiro–Wilk test.

Results

Improvements within the intervention cohort demonstrated educational value across all technical and non-technical parameters recorded, including time to completion (p < 0.01), OSATS scores (p < 0.001), task specific checklist scores (p = 0.011) and NOTSS scores (p < 0.001). Content validity, feasibility and acceptability were all demonstrated through curriculum development and post-study questionnaire results.

Conclusions

The current developed curriculum demonstrates that integrating both technical and non-technical skills teaching is both educationally valuable and feasible. Additionally, the curriculum offers a validated simulation-based training modality within ureteroscopy and a framework for the development of other simulation-based programmes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to Thank Dr. Saied Froghi for his invaluable contribution with the statistical analysis of the collected data. The research was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. Additionally, Prokar Dasgupta and Kamran Ahmed acknowledge educational research support from The Urology Foundation, Olympus and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Prokar Dasgupta further acknowledges support from the Vattikuti Foundation and Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Transplantation at Kings College London, UK - MRC Grant No. MR/J006742/1.

Disclosures

Oliver Brunckhorst, Shahab Shahid, Abdullatif Aydin, Craig McIlhenny, Shahid Khan, Johar Raza Syed, Arun Sahai, James Brewin, Fernando Bello, Roger Kneebone and Muhammad Shamim Khan have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Centre for Transplantation, King’s College London, Department of Urology, Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s Health Partners, London, UK

    Oliver Brunckhorst, Shahab Shahid, Abdullatif Aydin, Arun Sahai, James Brewin, Muhammad Shamim Khan, Prokar Dasgupta & Kamran Ahmed

  2. Forth Valley Royal Hospital, NHS Forth Valley, Larbet, UK

    Craig McIlhenny

  3. Department of Urology, East Surrey Hospital, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Redhill, UK

    Shahid Khan

  4. Department of Urology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Syed Johar Raza

  5. Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St. Mary’s Hospital Campus, London, UK

    Fernando Bello & Roger Kneebone

Authors
  1. Oliver Brunckhorst
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  2. Shahab Shahid
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  3. Abdullatif Aydin
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  4. Craig McIlhenny
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  5. Shahid Khan
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  6. Syed Johar Raza
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  7. Arun Sahai
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  8. James Brewin
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  9. Fernando Bello
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  10. Roger Kneebone
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  11. Muhammad Shamim Khan
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  12. Prokar Dasgupta
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  13. Kamran Ahmed
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Prokar Dasgupta.

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Brunckhorst, O., Shahid, S., Aydin, A. et al. Simulation-based ureteroscopy skills training curriculum with integration of technical and non-technical skills: a randomised controlled trial. Surg Endosc 29, 2728–2735 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-014-3996-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-014-3996-6

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