Reliability and validity of Endotower, a virtual reality trainer for angled endoscope navigation.
We hypothesized that a simulator designed to train surgical novices angled laparoscopic navigation would show an improvement in subjects' performance, a high test re-test reliability and high internal validity as measured by standardized coefficient alpha. It was also predicted that simulator performance would be strongly related to objectively assess perceptual and visuospatial ability. EndoTower has good face validity in that it mimics precisely the performance of an angled laparoscope and previous studies suggest construct validity. In this study, EndoTower is shown to be a trainer intended for laparoscopic skill than can test for inherent perceptual and visuospatial ability.
Department of Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Randy S
RS
Haluck
Anthony G
AG
Gallagher
Richard M
RM
Satava
Roger
R
Webster
Thomas L
TL
Bass
Cynthia A
CA
Miller
D003198:Computer Simulation; D003867:Depth Perception; D004867:Equipment Design; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D020706:Laparoscopes; D008838:Microcomputers; D009949:Orientation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014584:User-Computer Interface