Psychometric properties of a new tool to assess task-specific and global competency in cataract surgery.

Background And Objective: To establish and validate an assessment tool of cataract surgery performed by residents suitable for a competency-based curriculum.

Patients And Methods: A three-component evaluation tool was created based on review of the literature and was refined using a modified Delphi technique. Faculty surgeons viewed two videos of cataract surgery, performed by a novice and an expert, and completed the evaluation tool. Results were analyzed for the psychometric properties.

Results: Evaluators concluded the scale had excellent face validity. Construct validity showed the scale to reliably distinguish (P < .001) between novice (30.3 ± 6.1) and experienced (48.3 ± 7.2) surgeons. Internal consistency of the scale was high, with Cronbach's alpha equal to 0.981. Inter-rater reliability was high with an intraclass correlation coefficient equal to 0.811 (F(df) = 53.2 (25), P < .001).

Conclusion: The tool has excellent face validity, content validity, and reliability. Its task-specific, global-index scale and quantitative data form make it a valuable tool to assess residents' surgical skills.