An Introduction to Recording, Editing, and Streaming Picture-in-Picture Ultrasound Videos

A Hybrid Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Curriculum for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residents-a Multi-center Pilot Program

Purpose of Review

The increased use of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSKUS) in clinical practice warrants achieving competency earlier in physiatrists' careers. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) residency programs have started incorporating formal MSKUS training in their curricula; however, significant heterogeneity remains in MSKUS education.

Recent Findings

Numerous barriers contribute to the lack of consensus for MSKUS training during residency, but the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted in-person learning. As an adjunct or alternative to in-person learning, teleguided technology is being utilized.

Summary

This curriculum demonstrates the role of a hybrid MSKUS training with interinstitutional collaboration. Twenty PM&R learners, from two institutions, were divided into a fundamental or advanced track. Virtual didactic sessions alternated weekly with hands-on ultrasonographic scanning sessions. Following a 12-month longitudinal curriculum, an end-of-year practical examination was used for competency assessment, in addition to a survey assessing resident perceptions and feedback. To our knowledge, this is the first collaborative and hybrid MSKUS curriculum for PM&R learners that can be easily reproduced at most training institutions and circumvent some of the barriers amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40141-023-00380-z.

The Future of Virtual Sports Ultrasound Education and Collaboration

ABSTRACT

Sports ultrasound (US) is a rapidly advancing and expanding field, where "hands-on" education and real-time instructor feedback are paramount in developing this skill. In light of a global pandemic and limited access to instructors and educational conferences, sports US education must adapt to continue to teach future ultrasonographers. Virtual US education, conducted using various virtual meeting platforms not only allows for continued didactic education but also can virtually recreate the "hands-on" training sessions with live, immediate instructor feedback that is necessary for acquiring competence. Additionally, using these methods, sports US conferences can continue in a virtual manner, sports US education can expand remote areas, and collaboration among distant experts may increase, all without the cost of travel and extended time away from work. While immediately relevant because of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual US methods may continue to be beneficial as sports US education and collaboration continue to expand.

Education in the Time of COVID: At-a-Distance Training in Neuromusculoskeletal Ultrasonography

Point of care ultrasound is important to the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of neuromusculoskeletal conditions commonly seen in practice. However, across Canada, resident education of sonoanatomy skills is variable. There remain no standards in terms of how ultrasound is taught as part of the residency curriculum as set by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As such, residents are often required to find their own educational opportunities. This report describes an alternative approach to learning these skills that was inspired by disruption due to coronavirus disease 2019 in first year residency. This report explores how a PM&R resident was able to develop valuable ultrasound skills from home using not only textbooks and videos, but also new and novel teleguidance technology, namely an ultrasound probe that connects to a clinician’s own smart devices to display images.

Sports Ultrasound Training During a Pandemic: Developing a "Hands-on" Skill Through Distance Learning

"Hands-on" teaching is an important part of sports ultrasound (US) education in sports medicine fellowships. However, physical distancing requirements during a global pandemic have resulted in cancellation and/or postponement of "in-person" educational sessions, ultrasound conferences, and clinical diagnostic and interventional ultrasound cases that enhance ultrasound training. For "hands-on" sports ultrasound teaching to continue during these uncertain times, the educational model must be adapted. The use of virtual meeting platforms to display ultrasound images is possible, and this not only allows for instructor demonstration but also gives the instructor an opportunity to observe the learner scanning and provide direct feedback in real-time. Moving forward, virtual ultrasound teaching methods will likely continue to be of educational value, as they provide increased access to individualized instruction from skilled instructors and eliminate travel time and cost of conferences and instructional sessions.