RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Development of a surgical competency assessment tool for sentinel lymph node dissection by minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer JF International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer JO Int J Gynecol Cancer FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP ijgc-2020-002315 DO 10.1136/ijgc-2020-002315 A1 Moloney, Kristen A1 Janda, Monika A1 Frumovitz, Michael A1 Leitao, Mario A1 Abu-Rustum, Nadeem R A1 Rossi, Emma A1 Nicklin, James L A1 Plante, Marie A1 Lecuru, Fabrice R A1 Buda, Alessandro A1 Mariani, Andrea A1 Leung, Yee A1 Ferguson, Sarah Elizabeth A1 Pareja, Rene A1 Kimmig, Rainer A1 Tong, Pearl Shuang Ye A1 McNally, Orla A1 Chetty, Naven A1 Liu, Kaijiang A1 Jaaback, Ken A1 Lau, Julio A1 Ng, Soon Yau Joseph A1 Falconer, Henrik A1 Persson, Jan A1 Land, Russell A1 Martinelli, Fabio A1 Garrett, Andrea A1 Altman, Alon A1 Pendlebury, Adam A1 Cibula, David A1 Altamirano, Roberto A1 Brennan, Donal A1 Ind, Thomas Edward A1 De Kroon, Cornelis A1 Tse, Ka Yu A1 Hanna, George A1 Obermair, Andreas YR 2021 UL http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/03/ijgc-2020-002315.abstract AB Introduction Sentinel lymph node dissection is widely used in the staging of endometrial cancer. Variation in surgical techniques potentially impacts diagnostic accuracy and oncologic outcomes, and poses barriers to the comparison of outcomes across institutions or clinical trial sites. Standardization of surgical technique and surgical quality assessment tools are critical to the conduct of clinical trials. By identifying mandatory and prohibited steps of sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection in endometrial cancer, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a competency assessment tool for use in surgical quality assurance.Methods A Delphi methodology was applied, included 35 expert gynecological oncology surgeons from 16 countries. Interviews identified key steps and tasks which were rated mandatory, optional, or prohibited using questionnaires. Using the surgical steps for which consensus was achieved, a competency assessment tool was developed and subjected to assessments of validity and reliability.Results Seventy percent consensus agreement standardized the specific mandatory, optional, and prohibited steps of SLN dissection for endometrial cancer and informed the development of a competency assessment tool. Consensus agreement identified 21 mandatory and three prohibited steps to complete a SLN dissection. The competency assessment tool was used to rate surgical quality in three preselected videos, demonstrating clear separation in the rating of the skill level displayed with mean skills summary scores differing significantly between the three videos (F score=89.4; P<0.001). Internal consistency of the items was high (Cronbach α=0.88).Conclusion Specific mandatory and prohibited steps of SLN dissection in endometrial cancer have been identified and validated based on consensus among a large number of international experts. A competency assessment tool is now available and can be used for surgeon selection in clinical trials and for ongoing, prospective quality assurance in routine clinical care.