Construct, Face, and Content Validation on Voxel-Man® Simulator for Otologic Surgical Training

• Main Authors: M. Varoquier, C. P. Hoffmann, C. Perrenot, N. Tran, C. Parietti-Winkler
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2017-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Otolaryngology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/2707690

Objective. To assess the face, content, and construct validity of the Voxel-Man TempoSurg Virtual Reality simulator. Participants and Methods. 74 ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons participated. They were assigned to one of two groups according to their level of expertise: the expert group (n=16) and the novice group (n=58). The participants performed four temporal bone dissection tasks on the simulator. Performances were assessed by a global score and then compared to assess the construct validity of the simulator. Finally, the expert group assessed the face and content validity by means of a five-point Likert-type scale. Results. experienced surgeons performed better (p<.01) and faster (p<.001) than the novices. However, the groups did not differ in terms of bone volume removed (p=.11) or number of injuries (p=.37). 93.7% of experienced surgeons stated they would recommend this simulator for anatomical learning. Most (87.5%) also thought that it could be integrated into surgical training. Conclusion. The Voxel-Man TempoSurg Virtual Reality simulator constitutes an interesting complementary tool to traditional teaching methods for training in otologic surgery.