title: The construct validity and reliability of an assessment tool for competency in cochlear implant surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We introduce a rating tool that objectively evaluates the skills of surgical trainees performing cochlear implant surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven residents and seven experts performed cochlear implant surgery sessions from mastoidectomy to cochleostomy on a standardized virtual reality temporal bone. A total of twenty-eight assessment videos were recorded and two consultant otolaryngologists evaluated the performance of each participant using these videos.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interrater reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient for both the global and checklist components of the assessment instrument. The overall agreement was high. The construct validity of this instrument was strongly supported by the significantly higher scores in the expert group for both components.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the proposed assessment tool for cochlear implant surgery is reliable, accurate, and easy to use. This instrument can thus be used to provide objective feedback on overall and task-specific competency in cochlear implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia ; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Patorn
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2195-4837
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piromchai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pornthep
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7563-4134
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kasemsiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: Sudanthi
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8015-8577
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wijewickrema
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Leary
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results