Do errors and critical events relate to hernia repair outcomes?

BACKGROUND:The study aimed to validate an error checklist for simulated laparoscopic ventral hernia (LVH) repair procedures. We hypothesize that residents' errors can be assessed with a structured checklist and the results will correlate significantly with procedural outcomes. METHODS:Senior residents' (N = 7) performance on a LVH simulator were video-recorded and analyzed using a human error checklist. Junior residents (N = 38) performed two steps of the same simulated LVH procedure. Performance was evaluated using the error checklist and repair quality scores. RESULTS:There were no significant differences between senior and junior residents' checklist errors (p > 0.1). Junior residents' errors correlated with hernia repair quality (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:The newly developed assessment tool showed significant correlations between performance errors, critical events, and hernia repair quality. These results provide validity evidence for the use of errors in performance assessments. SUMMARY:This study validated an error checklist for simulated laparoscopic ventral hernia (LVH) repair procedures. The checklist was designed based on errors committed by chief surgery residents during LVH repairs. In a separate data collection, junior residents were evaluated using the checklist. Hernia repair quality was also assessed. Errors significantly correlated with hernia repair quality (p = 0.05).