ABSTRACT Purpose: To develop and validate a new test of specific technical skills required for microsurgical varicocelectomy. Materials and Methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent to 558 members of the Brazilian Society of Urology for the validation of the task-specific checklist (TSC) for assessment of microsurgical varicocelectomy. Participants who had experience in this procedure were selected as judges. For construct validation, 12 participants including attending urologists and urological residents in training were recruited for voluntary participation. We formed a group of three experts and a group of nine novices, who had to perform the steps of microsurgical varicocelectomy on a simulation model using human placenta. Each participant was filmed and two blinded raters would then evaluate their performance using the TSC of microsurgical varicocelectomy. Results: 14 judges were recruited. The assessment tool was reformulated, according to the judges suggestions and had the content validity achieved. The final version of the TSC was comprised of the task-specific score, a series of 4 items scored in a binary fashion designed for microscopic sub-inguinal varicocelectomy. The differences between the performance of participants with different levels of experience reflected the construct validity. The reliability between the raters was high. The mean time required to complete the training of microsurgical varicocelectomy in simulation model was significantly shorter for experts compared to novices (201 vs. 496 seconds, p=0.01). Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that the task-specific checklist of microsurgical varicocelectomy is reliable and valid in assessing microsurgical skills.

RESUMO OBJETIVOS Objetivou-se com este trabalho adaptar transculturalmente o instrumento Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (Osats) para o português-brasileiro e validá-lo no Brasil. MÉTODOS Uma versão em português-brasileiro do Osats foi criada por meio de um processo de tradução, retrotradução, versão consensual por um comitê de especialistas e pré-teste, seguido da etapa de validação. Para validades de constructo e concorrente, foram recrutados 12 participantes da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, divididos em um grupo de seis especialistas e um grupo de seis novatos, que tiveram de realizar tarefas em modelos de simulação utilizando placentas humanas. Cada participante foi filmado em anonimato e dois examinadores avaliaram os seus desempenhos usando o método tradicional subjetivo e depois a versão em português-brasileiro do Osats. RESULTADOS A versão em português-brasileiro do Osats alcançou as validades de face, de conteúdo, de constructo e concorrente. A média e o desvio padrão das pontuações atribuídas aos especialistas foram, respectivamente, 34 e 0,894, para o Juiz 1 e 34,33 e 0,816 para o Juiz 2. No caso dos novatos, foram 13,33 e 2,338 para o Juiz 1 e 13,33 e 3,204 para o Juiz 2. O Coeficiente de Correlação (de Pearson) entre os dois juízes foi de 0,9944 com IC 95% entre 0,9797 e 0,9985, com p<10-10, evidenciando a excelente reprodutibilidade do instrumento. CONCLUSÃO A versão em português-brasileiro do Osats manteve-se equivalente ao instrumento original e foi validada. Assim, pode ser usada para avaliar a performance operatória dos residentes em cirurgia no Brasil.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill (OSATS) tool into Brazilian Portuguese and to determine its reproducibility and validity in Brasil. METHODS A Brazilian Portuguese version of OSATS was created through a process of translation, back-translation, expert panel evaluation, pilot testing, and then its validation. For the construct and the concurrent validities, twelve participants were divided into a group of six experts and six novices, who had to perform tasks on a simulation model using human placentas. Each participant was filmed, and two blinded raters would then evaluate their performance using the traditional subjective method and then the Brazilian Portuguese version of OSATS. RESULTS The Brazilian Portuguese version of OSATS had the face, content, construct, and concurrent validities achieved. The average experts’ score and standard deviations were 34 and 0.894, respectively, for Judge 1 and 34.33 and 0.816 for Judge 2. In the case of novices, it was 13.33 and 2.388 for Judge 1 and 13.33 and 3.204 for Judge 2. The concordance between the judges was evident, with the Correlation Coefficient (Pearson) of 0.9944 with CI 95% between 0.9797 and 0.9985, with p < 10-10, evidencing the excellent reproducibility of the instrument. CONCLUSION This preliminary study suggests that the Brazilian Portuguese version of OSATS can reliably and validly assess surgical skills in Brasil.