Construct, Face, and Content Validation on Voxel-Man® Simulator for Otologic Surgical Training

Abstract

<i>Objective</i>. To assess the face, content, and construct validity of the Voxel-Man TempoSurg Virtual Reality simulator. <i>Participants and Methods</i>. 74 ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons participated. They were assigned to one of two groups according to their level of expertise: the expert group (<i>n</i> = 16) and the novice group (<i>n</i> = 58). The participants performed four temporal bone dissection tasks on the simulator. Performances were assessed by a global score and then compared to assess the construct validity of the simulator. Finally, the expert group assessed the face and content validity by means of a five-point Likert-type scale. <i>Results</i>. experienced surgeons performed better (<i>p</i> < .01) and faster (<i>p</i> < .001) than the novices. However, the groups did not differ in terms of bone volume removed (<i>p</i> = .11) or number of injuries (<i>p</i> = .37). 93.7% of experienced surgeons stated they would recommend this simulator for anatomical learning. Most (87.5%) also thought that it could be integrated into surgical training. <i>Conclusion</i>. The Voxel-Man TempoSurg Virtual Reality simulator constitutes an interesting complementary tool to traditional teaching methods for training in otologic surgery.