Validation of a clinical assessment tool for spinal anaesthesia

Abstract

Background: There is a need for a procedure-specific means of assessment of clinical performance in anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to devise a tool for assessing the performance of spinal anaesthesia, which has both content and construct validity. Methods: The clinical assessment tool was generated using a focus group discussion of practicing anaesthetists. The tool comprised three components: a checklist of 11 pre-defined errors, two time intervals and a six-item global rating scale (GRS). Thirty-one anaesthetists at three different levels of experience underwent testing using the clinical assessment tool:novice (n=10), intermediate (n=10) andexpert (n=11). Results: The error checklist and GRS scores but not the time intervals were significantly different between the three groups (P<0.005). Conclusion: The error checklist and GRS form the basis for a procedure-specific assessment tool for spinal anaesthesia. © 2011 The Authors Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica © 2011 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.