Education Improves Musculoskeletal Radiology Interpretation by Trainees in a Low-Resource Setting

The aims of this study were to assess baseline musculoskeletal radiology knowledge among Haitian orthopedists and to determine the impact of an adult and pediatric musculoskeletal radiology lecture series.

Participants were given lectures reviewing normal and abnormal elbow radiographs and received assessments before and after the intervention. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with baseline and postintervention scores.

This study was carried out as part of the 2018 Haitian Annual Assembly of Orthopaedic Trauma. This is an annual continuing medical educational conference in the capital city of Port-au-Prince open to all Haitian orthopedic surgeons and associated care providers, with a strong focus on resident training.

Haitian orthopedic surgery residents and surgeons attending the 2018 Haitian Annual Assembly of Orthopaedic Trauma.

Thirty-seven residents and faculty consented to participate in this study and 32 (86.5%) were male with a median age of 33 (interquartile rage: 30-35). On multivariate analysis controlling for the title (resident versus attending), total years of orthopedics (beginning of residency and beyond), and formal radiology teaching in medical school or residency, conference attendance in the past was significantly associated with higher preintervention assessment scores (odds ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.44, p = 0.010]. The mean total preintervention accuracy for correctly identification of pathology, if present, was 70% compared to 83% at the postassessment (p < 0.001).

Overall, this study demonstrates that a brief lecture series at a continuing medical conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti improved upper extremity radiographic interpretation based on pre and postassessments, and that prior conference attendance may be associated with higher baseline scores.