Development and Pilot Validation of an Instrument Assessing Sensorimotor Skills for Percutaneous Gastral Puncture

[Interprofessional knowledge and skills training of the insertion technique for the PEG placement on simulators - development and testing of a national curriculum for physicians and nurses]

INTRODUCTION

 Expert opinion within the field of gastroenterology mandates a national training curriculum to be completed prior to performing a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).The goal of the present study is both the development and evaluation of such a curriculum, thus aiming to provide physicians and nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to safely perform the PEG procedure.

METHODS

 Testing was performed using a non-randomized, interventional pilot study on simulators. This included a: (1) preparatory, (2) theoretical, and (3) practical phase. Following the theoretical phase, cognitive skills were assessed with a knowledge test. During the practical phase, each participant's puncture procedure was recorded with a multi-channel video, and sensorimotor skills were evaluated with an assessment instrument (AS-PEG). Finally, participant satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire.

RESULTS

 Seven physicians and 17 nurses completed all phases and final examinations, as defined in the curriculum. An average of 70.3 ± 3.7 (61-75) of 76 points and 37.1 ± 2.1 (32-40) of 42 points were achieved in the knowledge and acquired sensorimotor skills tests, respectively. Overall, the evaluation revealed a high level of satisfaction among the participants with respect to content, achievement of learning objectives, and acquired practical skills.

CONCLUSION

 Dissemination of the curriculum is deemed useful and necessary to provide the theoretical and practical knowledge for physicians and nurses through a structured inter-professional knowledge and skills-training format and to offer nurses a legally secure framework.