Modern Metrics for Evaluating Surgical Technical Skills

Abstract

Assessment of surgical technical skills has traditionally occurred through informal means using sporadic and subjective feedback. Recent trends in patient safety, simulation training, and technological advances have generated a need for accurate and objective assessment of surgical technical skills. This review is intended to identify the breadth and scope of recent approaches to surgical skill assessment and metrics and define gaps for further development. Surgical skill assessment methods can be broadly categorized as (1) assessments by expert observations using validated task-specific checklists and global rating scales, (2) automated motion tracking metrics using mechanical force sensors, accelerometers or computer video analysis, and (3) mechanical outcome metrics. Surgical skill assessments are likely to play an ever-increasing role in surgical training and certification. Further research is needed to determine the optimal metrics for assessment and to identify relevant real-world outcomes.