Safer Surgery part 9. There have been few research investigations into how highly trained doctors and nurses work together to achieve safe and efficient anaesthesia and surgery. While there have been major advances in surgical and anaesthetic procedures, there are still significant risks for patients during operations and adverse events are not unknown. Due to rising concern about patient safety, surgeons and anaesthetists have looked for ways of minimising adverse events. | 54 Safer Surgery Our study views feasibility as a key assessment characteristic and it is formally considered within the study s design. Following each case the supervising consultant completes a PBA or OSATS before giving feedback to the trainee. We observe this process and record the time taken to complete the assessment form and the duration of feedback. The follow-up questionnaires which we distribute to trainees and assessors approximately one month after completing assessments in the relevant specialty include questions to address feasibility issues . time added to operating list available room for feedback ease of use of tools. We have not directly addressed cost effectiveness in this study although the data could inform future research. Are the Assessment Tools Acceptable to Stakeholders User acceptability is the extent to which an assessment tool or method is accepted by the stakeholders involved in the assessment. It is a crucial factor in the design and successful implementation of assessment programmes. The acceptability of the assessment tools to trainees and assessors is being evaluated during the study s implementation as the future direction of competencybased assessment in the UK will be influenced by the opinions of surgical trainees and trainers. After each feedback session and in the follow-up questionnaires we address the acceptability of the assessments and the assessment tools. There is some overlap of user acceptability issues with feasibility and validity. For example an assessment tool which is very complex and time-consuming to complete is likely to have low face validity and low feasibility as well as having inferior acceptability. However we consider acceptability from the overall perspective of the people directly involved in the assessments. We ask supervising consultants and trainees to rate their overall satisfaction with the assessment tools immediately after feedback. The subsequent questionnaires provide an opportunity for .
