Evaluation of a Training Model to Teach Skills Associated with Esophagostomy Tube Placement in Companion Animals

Models and simulations are used in veterinary education to allow students to practice surgical skills in order to obtain clinical competence. Further development of models is also driven by the requirement of veterinary institutions to reduce the use of animal patients in teaching (live or cadaver). Esophagostomy tube placement is a common therapeutic procedure performed in companion animal critical care cases, and a model was developed to help teach this skill. Validity evidence was collected and analyzed to evaluate this model at the University of Surrey. Veterinarians (<i>n</i> = 14) provided content validity evidence on using the model, and students (<i>n</i> = 19) provided further construct evidence. Students were taught the skill on either a model or a cadaver. These students were then assessed on a cadaver the following week. Global rating scales were used as a measure of performance, and data were recorded on confidence ratings after both teaching and assessment. Comparisons of the global rating scales and confidence levels were evaluated for both the model and cadaver-taught groups. There were no statistical differences in the performance data or confidence levels of the two groups. Most of the veterinarians believed the model was easy to use (13/14), had realistic landmarks (11/14), and was a suitable alternative to learning the skill than in the animal patient (12/14). The esophagostomy tube model is a low-cost, easy-to-make alternative to help teach aspects of this skill before performing on an animal patient.