Building an efficient surgical team using a bench model simulation: construct validity of the Legacy Inanimate System for Endoscopic Team Training (LISETT)

• Published in: Surgical endoscopy Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 930 - 937
• Main Authors: Zheng, B., Denk, P. M., Martinec, D. V., Gatta, P., Whiteford, M. H., Swanström, L. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.04.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Competence; Collaboration; Communication; Computer-Assisted Instruction; Cooperation; Digestive system. Abdomen; Education, Medical; Endoscopy; Endoscopy - education; Equipment Design; Gastroenterology; General aspects; Gynecology; Hepatology; Human error; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Laparoscopy; Medical errors; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Motor Skills; Patient Care Team - organization & administration; Patient safety; Patient Simulation; Proctology; Simulation; Skills; Surgeons; Surgery; Teams; Teamwork; Validation studies; Validity; Oregon; United States > US; Teamwork; Simulation; Laparoscopic; Surgical training; Assessment; Medicine; Endoscopic surgery; Validity; Treatment; Laparoscopy; Models; Endoscopy
• ISSN: 0930-2794; 1432-2218
• DOI: 10.1007/s00464-007-9524-1

Background Complex laparoscopic tasks require collaboration of surgeons as a surgical team. Conventionally, surgical teams are formed shortly before the start of the surgery, and team skills are built during the surgery. There is a need to establish a training simulation to improve surgical team skills without jeopardizing the safety of surgery. The Legacy Inanimate System for Laparoscopic Team Training (LISETT) is a bench simulation designed to enhance surgical team skills. The reported project tested the construct validity of LISETT. The research question was whether the LISETT scores show progressive improvement correlating with the level of surgical training and laparoscopic team experience or not. Methods With LISETT, two surgeons are required to work closely to perform two laparoscopic tasks: peg transportation and suturing. A total of 44 surgical dyad teams were recruited, composed of medical students, residents, laparoscopic fellows, and experienced surgeons. The LISETT scores were calculated according to the speed and accuracy of the movements. Results The LISETT scores were positively correlated with surgical experience, and the results can be generalized confidently to surgical teams (Pearson’s coefficient, 0.73; p  = 0.001). To analyze the influences of individual skill and team dynamics on LISETT performance, team quality was rated by team members using communication and cooperation characters after each practice. The LISETT scores are positively correlated with self-rated team quality scores (Pearson’s coefficient, 0.39; p  = 0.008). Conclusions The findings proved LISETT to be a valid system for assessing cooperative skills of a surgical team. By increasing practice time, LISETT provides an opportunity to build surgical team skills, which include effective communication and cooperation.