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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05256355

Competency-based Assessment in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Diseases

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Stine Carstensen

Glostrup Municipality, 2600, Denmark

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Physicians working at the rheumatology departments in Denmark:
  • Novices: No or little experience with MSUS (less than 100 examinations).
  • Intermediates: Participated and completed at least one formal ultrasound course and more than 100 examinations (less than 1000 MSUS examinations).
  • 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

Treatment and study plan

musculoskeletal ultrasound

Other

The participants will perform four MSUS examinations which are all videorecorded. All videos will be rated by two blinded raters using the OSAUS assessment tool.

Primary outcomes

  1. Performance score

    Time frame: Up to 12 months

    Competence score assessed by blinded raters using a generic skills assessment scale (OSAUS).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Competency-based Assessment in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound- a Validity Study

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Feb 25, 2022
Registry last updated
Oct 27, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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