Musculoskeletal ultrasound peer-teaching bolsters radiology residents’ knowledge, confidence
Demand for musculoskeletal ultrasound continues to rise, but many radiology residency programs are not providing adequate training in this space, according to the authors of a Sept. 19 Academic Radiology study.
“Given the continuing expansion of the role of ultrasound in assessing musculoskeletal pathology, radiology residency programs must find a way to overcome challenges posed by inadequacies in time, staffing, and/or faculty proficiency in order to ensure that radiology residents become well-versed in scanning technique and ultrasonographic image interpretation,” wrote lead author Netanel S. Berko, MD, and colleagues.
Peer-teaching has been proposed as a possible solution to these woes. To test this, Berko, with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues designed a peer-teacher-based musculoskeletal ultrasound curriculum with hands-on scanning workshops for radiology residents.
After completing workshops, residents reported “significant” increases in knowledge, confidence and ability to interpret studies, according to the research team.
Prior to the workshops residents completed surveys to assess their confidence. On a five-point Likert scale, they reported low levels of musculoskeletal ultrasound knowledge (median 2), along with low confidence in performing (1) and interpreting (1) these exams.
Prior to the workshops, peer teachers received three hours of hands-on ultrasound training. Those teachers then led small workshops, with each radiology resident completing two three-hour sessions.
Immediately and then two months after the workshops, participants performed diagnostic ultrasound exams to determine their skill level.
Results showed an increase in knowledge (median score of 3), confidence in performing (3) and interpreting (3) studies after the workshops.
Researchers found residents’ knowledge and ability to correctly perform studies was improved immediately and two months after the curriculum. However, the skill retention rate two months post-workshop fell from 100 percent to 79 percent, “and likely would decrease further over time,” Berko et al. argued.
Overall, the team found peer-teaching an effective method for both the teacher and resident, and suggested additional workshops over the course of radiology residency may help combat skill retention loss.
“Use of such a curriculum could allow for widespread implementation of musculoskeletal ultrasound training during radiology residency,” Berko et al. concluded. “Implementation of this curriculum with recurrent hands-on workshops over the course of training would likely lead to increased long-term skill retention.”
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.