Achieving Consensus to Define Curricular Content for Simulation Based Education in Vascular Surgery: A Europe Wide Needs Assessment Initiative

OBJECTIVE: To gather consensus among European educators about technical procedures that should be included in a future simulation based curriculum in vascular surgery.

METHODS: A three round modified Delphi survey was initiated among 189 key opinion leaders (KOL) from 34 countries across Europe who were identified according to their positions in the European Society for Vascular Surgery, the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, and Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes Section and Board of Vascular Surgery. The first round was a brainstorming phase to identify technical procedures that a newly qualified vascular surgeon should be able to perform. The answers were analysed qualitatively. The second round investigated how often the identified procedures are performed, the number of vascular surgeons that should be able to perform these procedures, whether the procedures pose a risk to the patients, and whether simulation based education (SBE) is feasible. In the third round, elimination and re-ranking of procedures were performed. Only procedures that gained more than 70% support were included. An international steering group consisting of open and endovascular surgeons and medical educators governed the process.

RESULTS: Response rates in the three rounds were 75% (142/189), 89% (126/142), and 85% (107/126), respectively. In the final prioritised list of 30 technical procedures for SBE, the top five procedures focus on basic open vascular skills, basic endovascular skills, vascular imaging interpretation, femoral endarterectomy, and open peripheral bypass. Twenty-six procedures were eliminated, including peripheral pressure measurement, wound management, open management of complications, major amputations, and highly advanced endovascular skills.

CONCLUSION: The prioritised list of technical procedures from this ESVS supported project could be used to guide planning and development of future SBE programs to meet the needs of vascular surgeons across Europe.