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Sonographic training in rheumatology: a self teaching approach
E Filippucci1, Z Unlu, A Farina
1Department of Rheumatology, University of Ancona, Italy.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
|May 22, 2003
Summary
A novice can achieve acceptable musculoskeletal ultrasound images after a 24-hour self-teaching program. This intensive training, focusing on image acquisition, demonstrates the efficacy of self-guided learning for developing basic ultrasonography skills.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Rheumatology
- Ultrasound Technology
Background:
- Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is a valuable diagnostic tool in rheumatology.
- Novices typically require extensive supervised training to achieve proficiency.
- The effectiveness of self-teaching approaches for developing ultrasonography skills is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a self-teaching method for musculoskeletal ultrasonography.
- To determine if a novice can acquire acceptable sonographic images without prior experience.
Main Methods:
- A novice received two hours of general ultrasound equipment training.
- The novice independently practiced acquiring images, comparing them to online gold standards.
- Images were blindly assessed by the novice and a tutor, with a minimum score of 6 considered acceptable.
Main Results:
- Training involved 30 sessions over one month, totaling 24 hours of active scanning.
- The novice produced 243 images, with an average acquisition time of 6 minutes per image.
- By the end of training, the novice consistently achieved acceptable image quality scores (>6).
Conclusions:
- A novice can acquire acceptable musculoskeletal sonographic images through an intensive self-teaching program.
- Approximately 24 hours of active scanning are sufficient for a novice to reach a standard level of image quality.
- Self-teaching is a viable method for initial training in musculoskeletal ultrasonography.