• Nancy N Butler and Gregory J Wiet.
• Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
• Laryngoscope. 2007 Oct 1; 117 (10): 1803-8.

ObjectiveTo determine the inter- and intrarater reliability of using a new scale (Welling scale) for resident evaluation of temporal bone dissection performance.Study DesignProspective, double-blinded, randomized trial.MethodsTwelve residents in otolaryngology (postgraduate year [PGY] 2-5) drilled 26 temporal bones (21 cadaveric, 5 plastic) with the objective to perform a complete mastoidectomy with facial recess approach. These bones were then rated using the Welling scale by six independent raters on two separate occasions (4-6 wk apart). Raters were blinded to PGY year. The Kappa statistic was calculated for inter- and intrarater reliability.ResultsIntrarater agreement was high for all raters, ranging from kappa = 0.65 to 0.72 (all P < .001), whereas the interrater agreement scores were more moderate (range, kappa = 0.49-0.64; all P < .01).ConclusionThe Welling scale can be used reliably to assess temporal bone dissection performance where performance is measured by assessment of end product (mastoidectomy with facial recess approach).

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