Background: GP year 1 and 2 trainees spend 4 months at the dedicated RVEEH ear nose & throat (ENT) emergency department in a “community of practice”, alongside legitimate ENT trainees and ENT nurse specialists, under direct Consultant Supervisor. The GP trainee is taught to perform and evaluate the larynx using fiberoptic endoscopy. An average of 1,500 endoscopies of the larynx are carried out by the GP trainee, during this attachment. This study assesses, the level of laryngeal endoscopic proficiency attained by the GP trainee, following their 4-month ENT attachment.
Methods: All GP trainees, who worked in our unit over the past 4 years were contacted to take part in the study. Fifteen GP trainees were assessed. Fiberoptic endoscopic examination of the larynx was assessed using a validated virtual reality task trainer, (the ORSIM is an airway virtual reality simulation training tool. The name of the tool is ORSIM and should be documented as such) ORSIM. A procedure-based assessment (PBA) tool was used and each candidate was assessed individually by 2 Consultant ENT specialists. PBA is a validated and sensitive tool for assessing procedural competence of all levels of ENT trainees’ performance and progress.
Results: Individual domain score, overall calculated score (cS), and number of “development-required” items were calculated for each PBA. An overall performance rating (pS) of 1 to 4, was generated for each trainee. The mean pS was 3.4, which is comparable to an ST4 trainee for this procedure.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the procedural skill of fiberoptic endoscopy of the larynx is retained by GP trainees, following 4 months of intense deliberate practice with ENT Consultant Supervisor and feedback. The level of expertise attained is comparable to an ST4 ENT trainee. An entrusbable professional activity (EPA) in fiberoptic endoscopy of the larynx, for GP trainees with a special interest in ENT procedural skills, is possible following a period of immersive training, as demonstrated by this study.
