# Development of the European Laparoscopic Intermediate Urological Skills LUSs2 Curriculum: A Delphi Consensus from the European School of Urology

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new standardized training curriculum for intermediate laparoscopic urological skills developed through expert consensus.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the creation of the first intermediate laparoscopic urology curriculum using a Delphi consensus method.

## Key findings

- The Delphi process achieved consensus on 85% of statements regarding laparoscopic procedures.
- The curriculum covers key areas like renal hilum dissection and pyeloplasty.
- The LUSs2 curriculum aims to standardize training and improve surgical proficiency.

## Abstract

The European laparoscopic intermediate urological skills curriculum LUSs2 is the first development of an intermediate laparoscopic curriculum in urology. The combined approach, uniting a cognitive task analysis and Delphi consensus, facilitated the creation of a robust and finely tuned surgical training curriculum with the collaborative spirit that dives into medical education led by experts.

While programmes such as the European Basic Laparoscopic Urological Skills have made strides in foundational training, a significant gap exists for intermediate and advanced laparoscopy education. Our objective is to develop and validate the European laparoscopic intermediate urological skills (LUSs2) curriculum, which will establish uniformity in the training of urological laparoscopic procedures and facilitate proficiency among practitioners.

The study combines a literature review, cognitive task analysis development by a steering group, and a two-round Delphi survey involving international experts in urological laparoscopy. Consensus was defined as agreement of ≥70% among experts. The survey included statements on various laparoscopic procedures, assessed on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 9 (strongly agree).

The Delphi process achieved consensus on 85% (235/275) of statements, indicating a strong agreement on the curriculum’s content. Areas covered include renal hilum dissection, major vessel injury management, enucleation and renorrhaphy, vesicourethral anastomosis, and pyeloplasty. Limitations include the nonsystematic nature of the literature review and potential biases inherent in expert-based consensus methods.

The LUSs2 curriculum significantly advances the standardised training of laparoscopic urological skills. It offers a detailed, consensus-validated framework that addresses the need for uniformity in surgical education and aims to enhance surgical proficiency and patient care.

This study presents the development of a new standardised training curriculum for urological laparoscopic surgery. We intend this curriculum to improve the quality of surgical training and ensure high-quality patient care.