title: Validation of a clinical assessment tool for spinal anaesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a need for a procedure-specific means of assessment of clinical performance in anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to devise a tool for assessing the performance of spinal anaesthesia, which has both content and construct validity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical assessment tool was generated using a focus group discussion of practicing anaesthetists. The tool comprised three components: a checklist of 11 pre-defined errors, two time intervals and a six-item global rating scale (GRS). Thirty-one anaesthetists at three different levels of experience underwent testing using the clinical assessment tool: novice (n=10), intermediate (n=10) and expert (n=11).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The error checklist and GRS scores but not the time intervals were significantly different between the three groups (P<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The error checklist and GRS form the basis for a procedure-specific assessment tool for spinal anaesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cork University Hospital, Ireland. dorothy.breen@hse.ie
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bogar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heigl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rittberger
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shorten
mesh_terms: D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans