The use of the "Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills" as an Assessment Tool Among Danish Vascular Surgeons in Training.
OBJECTIVE
The concept of the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) is to quantify surgical skills in an objective way and, thereby, produce an additional procedure-specific assessment tool. Since 2005, a 2-day practical course for upcoming specialist registrars in vascular surgery has been obligatory. The aim of this study is to describe the results from a tailored OSATS test as a tool for the evaluation of practical skills during an intensive training session in a simple simulator box for vascular anastomoses.


METHODS
Between 2005 and 2013, we registered the OSATS scores of all course participants. The following data were collected from the questionnaires: years as a candidate, months in vascular surgery or in another type of surgery, and the number of vascular anastomoses performed before the course. The assessment of surgical skills was conducted with an OSATS score template specifically made for this purpose. It consists of a 12-item table with a 5-point grading scale. OSATS score (points) and time for the procedure (OSATS time in min) were registered at baseline (OSATS I) and at the end of the course (OSATS II).


RESULTS
OSATS scores were given in both OSATS I and OSATS II for the 83 trainees, and the mean difference was 8.1 points (95% CI: 6.7; 9.5, p < 0.001). OSATS time was given for 69 trainees, and the mean difference was 2.8 minutes (95% CI: 1.4; 4.2, p < 0.001). We found no relationship between years since graduation, months in any surgical specialty, or the experience with vascular anastomoses and outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
OSATS is a valuable tool for evaluating the advancement of technical skills during an intensive practical course in performing vascular anastomoses.
Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg District Hospital, Viborg, Denmark. Electronic address: gabrielagrove@gmail.com.
Gabriela
G
Lladó Grove
Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg District Hospital, Viborg, Denmark.
Annette
A
Langager Høgh
Department of Heart, Lung and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Odense, Odense, Denmark.
Judith
J
Nielsen
Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg District Hospital, Viborg, Denmark.
Jes
J
Sandermann
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003718:Denmark; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000066908:Simulation Training / Q000379:methods*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*
Medical Knowledge; Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS); Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; assessment tool; clinical competence; educational evaluation; surgical education; surgical simulation