Tracking the early acquisition of skills by trainees.

A form of sequential analysis has been developed to track performance of tracheal intubation by novice intubators. One hundred and nineteen trainees completed logbooks during their attachment to the Departments of Anaesthesia and these data were used to produce rates of success for sequential attempts at the procedure. A grid was created from this on which future trainees could report their performance. A boundary drawn on the grid can be used as a trigger to indicate the need for more basic instruction.