E-learning in ultrasonography: a web-based approach

Objective: To propose e-learning methods that address the fundamental problems related to sonographic training in rheumatology. Methods: The project was designed for rheumatologists with strong motivation to learn ultrasound. A modular approach was constructed, consisting of a basic 3-day residentia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2007-07, Vol.66 (7), p.962-965
Main Authors: Filippucci, Emilio, Meenagh, Gary, Ciapetti, Alessandro, Iagnocco, Annamaria, Taggart, Allister, Grassi, Walter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Clinical Competence
Concise Report
Education, Medical, Continuing
Humans
Internet
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Joints
MCQ
Medical sciences
Methods
multiple-choice question
Online instruction
Pathology
Performance evaluation
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Questionnaires
Rheumatic diseases
Rheumatology
Rheumatology - education
Teaching aids & devices
Teaching. Deontology. Ethics. Legislation
Tutoring
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic investigative techniques
Ultrasonography
User-Computer Interface
Web sites
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Summary:Objective: To propose e-learning methods that address the fundamental problems related to sonographic training in rheumatology. Methods: The project was designed for rheumatologists with strong motivation to learn ultrasound. A modular approach was constructed, consisting of a basic 3-day residential course, followed by a 6-month period of web-based tutoring, and culminating in a final 2-day residential course with a formal assessment of competency. Results: The website (http://www.e-sonography.com) was accessed by all 60 participants. A mean of 20 (range 10–80) log-on sessions were registered for each participant, and a mean of 250 min (range 60–600 min) of web access was recorded. A total of 163 sonographic images were submitted by 18 (30%) participants. The majority of the images focused on the following anatomical areas: shoulder 49 (30%), hand 34 (21%) and knee 20 (12%). A total time investment of approximately 14 h was made by the US tutors over the 6-month period for interaction with the participants. Conclusions: The e-learning methods described in this report represent the first attempt to adopt a novel technique to circumvent several of the inherent barriers to the many facets of teaching musculoskeletal ultrasound to a wide audience.
ISSN:0003-4967
1468-2060
DOI:10.1136/ard.2006.064568