Validating the Sheep Model in Rhinology Skills Training

Abstract

Objective: 1) Investigate face and content validity of the sheep model in operative rhinology skills training. 2) Investigate the applicability and transferability of skills acquired in otolaryngology training curriculum.

Method: An evaluation study conducted in February 2012. Fifteen otolaryngology trainees (level: 3-5) and 5 experts completed 9 operative rhinology tasks on a pre-prepared sheep model and assessed face and content validity using a Likert scale across 20-item questionnaire. Participants also evaluated the model in teaching individual tasks and globally as training tool.

Results: The model achieved face validity of 4.1 with no significant difference between expert and intermediate groups (4.0 and 4.3, Wilcoxon P = .14). Content validity score was 4.2, with experts scoring higher than the intermediate group (4.0 and 4.5, Wlicoxon P = .043). The highest scoring skills were improving hand-eye-coordination and operative skills (4.7 and 4.6), and the worst was anatomy teaching (3.4). The highest scoring tasks were foreign-body removal and cerebrospinal fluid leak repair (4.4 and 4.0), and the worst was middle-meatal-antrostomy and septoplasty (3.3 and 3.6). Two data points were missing (99.5% completion). All agreed on transferability, incorporation into curriculum, and recommending to colleagues (4.2, 4.5, and 4.4).

Conclusion: The sheep model achieved face and content validity and is recommended by experts and trainees for teaching rhinology skills. Advantages include availability, realism, and applicability of acquired skills in rhinology procedures. The model achieved >4/5 Likert scale in teaching endoscopic examination, foreign-body removal, cerebrospinal fluid leak repair, and sphenopalatine artery ligation.