A method of objectively evaluating improvements in laparoscopic skills

Background: In this paper, we explored a quick and inexpensive method to evaluate the improvement in laparoscopic skills gained by residents after attending a formal training course in laparoscopy. Methods: Surgical residents attending an endoscopic workshop were randomly selected to perforin tasks in a training simulator. Each was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively before and after the workshop. A control group of six residents who did not attend the workshop were selected to perform the same tasks twice in succession. Results: The total mean time improvement for all tasks in the study group was 34.3% and in the control group 7.3% (p = 0.0001). When the data was separated for each task, statistically significant improvement was demonstrated in five of the six tasks. Conclusions: Residents who attend a formal workshop in endoscopy can gain significant improvement in skills. The methods described in this study can be used to quantitatively measure this improvement throughout a resident's training.