Validation of a performance checklist for ultrasound-guided internal jugular central lines for use in procedural instruction and assessment.

Abstract

Tools created to measure procedural competency must be tested in their intended environment against an established standard in order to be validated. We previously created a checklist for ultrasound-guided internal jugular central venous catheter (US IJ CVC) insertion using the modified Delphi method. We sought to further validate the checklist tool for use in an educational environment. This is a cohort study involving 15 emergency medicine interns being evaluated on their skill in US IJ CVC placement. We compared the checklist tool with a modified version of a clinically validated global rating scale (GRS) for procedural performance. The correlation between the GRS tool and the checklist tool was excellent, with a correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) of 0.90 (p<0.0001). This checklist represents a useful tool for measuring procedural competency.