Competency-based Assessment in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Interventions: Other: musculoskeletal ultrasound

• Registration Number: NCT05256355
• Lead Sponsor: Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Brief Summary

Early diagnosis and rapid treatment initiation are of most importance to prevent joint damage in patients with arthritis. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) is becoming an integrated part of rheumatology routine care and is more sensitive than clinical examination for detecting synovitis even in the early stage of disease.

However, MSUS is highly operator dependent and competences are needed to ensure correct image interpretation. Traditionally competences are evaluated on how many examinations the trainees have performed, but the gold standard has now shifted towards competency-based education where objective assessment tools are the key element. A previous study has developed a scale for assessment of ultrasound competence, The Objective Structured Assessment of Ultrasound skills (OSAUS). Although expert consensus supports evidence of content validity of the assessment instrument, it is not known if the OSAUS scale can discriminate differences in performance scores between different levels of MSUS experience in rheumatology in a reliable way.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-02-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-02-24
• Study First Posted: 2022-02-25
• Study Start: 2022-05-01
• Primary Completion: 2022-06-01
• Study Completion: 2022-06-30
• Status Verified: 2022-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-10-25
• Last Update Posted: 2022-10-27

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Physicians working at the rheumatology departments in Denmark:

  1. Novices: No or little experience with MSUS (less than 100 examinations).
  2. Intermediates: Participated and completed at least one formal ultrasound course and more than 100 examinations (less than 1000 MSUS examinations).
  3. Physicians with a long experience in MSUS doing the procedure almost daily and providing teaching and/or research within this field (more than 1000 examinations).

Exclusion Criteria

• No informed consent
• Novices/Intermediates: extensive experience in MSUS

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
MSUS intermediates	musculoskeletal ultrasound	Measurement of competence
MSUS novices	musculoskeletal ultrasound	Measurement of competence
MSUS experts	musculoskeletal ultrasound	Measurement of competence

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Performance score	Up to 12 months	Competence score assessed by blinded raters using a generic skills assessment scale (OSAUS).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Stine Carstensen; 🇩🇰 Glostrup, Denmark