Development, translation, and preliminary validation of the neck dissection assessment tool

Background The objective was to develop an assessment tool to evaluate residents' competency for neck dissection and provide preliminary evidence of feasibility, reliability, and validity. Methods Six surgeons developed a neck dissection assessment tool using a modified Delphi method and evaluated 58 neck dissections from six junior and six senior otolaryngology residents. Results The assessment tool uses a double checklist: a previously validated global rating scale (GRS) and a task-specific checklist (TSC). Use of the instrument appeared feasible and the average scores on the GRS and TSC differed significantly between junior and senior residents. The Pearson correlation coefficient between both checklists was 0.87. Intraclass correlation (ICC) for inter-rater reliability was 0.69 for the GRS, and 0.80 for the TSC. Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence of feasibility, reliability, and validity for the first neck dissection assessment tool and provides a foundation for further psychometric analysis and research.