Musculoskeletal Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Training Among Canadian Postgraduate Rheumatology Programs

Objective: This study aimed to assess the current state of musculoskeletal point-of-care ultrasonography training among the rheumatology postgraduate programs in Canada and explored the interest in developing a national curriculum.

Method: A Canadian survey was developed by academic rheumatologists including point-of-care ultrasonography experts and point-of-care ultrasonography non-users. Across Canada, all 15 adult and 3 pediatric rheumatology English and French postgraduate programs were surveyed via Survey Monkey with a standardized questionnaire.

Results: The completed response rates were 27% (24/89) for postgraduate year-4 and -5 rheumatology trainees and 61% (11/18) for program directors. Forty-two percent (10/24) of trainees had access to formal point-of-care ultrasonography training, and 67% (16/24) had some form of informal nonstructured exposure. Of all respondents, 87.5% (21/24) trainees and 82% (9/11) program directors agreed or strongly agreed that point-of-care ultrasonography is an important clinical tool in rheumatology. Eighty-nine percent (8/9) of program directors felt that point-of-care ultrasonography should be a formal part of rheumatology training.

Conclusion: This national survey demonstrates that while musculoskeletal point-of-care ultrasonography is considered an important component of clinical practice, significant training barriers exist. The majority of both trainees and program directors felt that point-of-care ultrasonography should be a formal part of training and would be interested in a national standardized point-of-care ultrasonography curriculum in Canada.