Procedure-based assessment (PBA) in urology residency: initial experience

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Changes in society and in medical practice have demanded improvements in the surgical teaching process in Medical Residency, leading to the emergence of new teaching-learning and assessment models based on competencies. In this process, the Procedure Based Assessment (PBA) stands out as an assessment tool in the workplace, supported by the assessment of competencies and structured feedback. Objective: This study aims to present the development and implementation of PBA protocols in an Urology Medical Residency Program. Method: This is a prospective, action-research study, carried out from July/2019 to July/2020, involving 10 preceptors and six urology residents. The group consensus methodology was used to create the protocols, in addition to training participants for competency assessment. Six PBA protocols were created, corresponding to the prevalent procedures in the training of the resident/year, followed by their implementation. In addition to the descriptive data analysis, Spearman’s coefficient (rR) was used for inferential analysis of the correlation between training time and the resident’s performance assessed by the PBA. Result: The development of two PBA instruments for each of the three years of training allowed the assessment of all residents. Thirty-one evaluation meetings were held, with an average of five evaluations per resident. There was a positive correlation between longer training time and better resident performance in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, laparoscopic nephrectomy and in the set of the six procedures (rR = 0.97, 0.55, 0.42 and 0.31, respectively). We report the first use of PBA in Urology Residency in Brazil. The methodology of group consensus associated with a training process proved to be an option for developing this type of instrument. The positive correlation between improved performance in the PBA and training time corroborates studies that resulted in the consolidation of the tool’s validity and reliability. Conclusion: The creation of PBA protocols by group consensus is feasible and resulted in the first use of this tool in Urology Residency in Brazil. The PBA may represent a more modern surgical teaching assessment strategy, suitable for training in real scenarios.