An instructional program to facilitate teaching joint/soft-tissue injection and aspiration

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rheumatology
• Musculoskeletal Procedures

Background:

• Effective training in joint and soft-tissue aspiration/injection is crucial for medical trainees.
• Traditional rheumatology rotations may not provide sufficient structured practice in these procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an instructional program for teaching knee and shoulder aspiration and injection techniques.
• To compare the effectiveness of the new program against traditional learning and lecture-only methods.

Main Methods:

• A new instructional program combining didactic lectures and hands-on workshops with anatomic models was developed.
• Medical students and residents were allocated to three groups: Traditional, Lecture-only, and the new Program group.
• Participants' knowledge and skills were assessed via written and practical examinations.

Main Results:

• The Program group and Lecture-only group scored significantly higher on written examinations compared to the Traditional group.
• The Program group achieved significantly higher scores on practical examinations than both the Lecture-only and Traditional groups.
• Hands-on practice with anatomic models in the Program group demonstrated superior practical skill acquisition.

Conclusions:

• The developed instructional program effectively enhances learners' ability to perform joint and soft-tissue aspiration and injection.
• Integrating this program into medical training can significantly improve procedural competency.
• Structured, hands-on training is vital for mastering arthrocentesis techniques.