Development of a rating scale for objective assessment of performance in laparoscopic appendicectomy surgery.

Multi-institutional expert consensus was obtained regarding the steps and, for the first time, descriptors of performance for LA, demonstrating their face and content validity, as well as generalisability. Subsequently, the LARS tool was created that can be used to quantitatively assess intra-operative performance. This instrument can be used to identify weaknesses in performance and facilitate deliberate practice, thus shifting training in LA to a competency-based approach.