Impact of an intensive education programme of diagnostic lung and lower limb ultrasound on physiotherapist knowledge: A pilot study.

introduction/purposeDiagnostic ultrasound of the respiratory system and peripheral muscular systems is increasingly being used by clinicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge outcomes of a bespoke one-day curriculum for physiotherapists that incorporated lung, diaphragm and lower limb muscle diagnostic ultrasound theory and practical training in image acquisition and analysis.

methodsA one-day course comprised of three instructors and 32 participants on key diagnostic ultrasound findings of the lungs, diaphragm and lower limb musculature included didactic lectures combined with expert-led hands-on training in practical sessions. Participants undertook pre- and post-course knowledge questionnaire covering key ultrasound findings for normal lungs, pleural/pulmonary pathologies and normal and abnormal findings for the diaphragm and key lower limb muscle groups. The pre-test and post-test questionnaire and survey results were reported using parametric descriptive statistics (means SD) as the data were normally distributed.

resultsOf the 32 physiotherapists who undertook the one-day training, 25 (78%) completed the pre- and post-course questionnaires. The pre-course knowledge scores (mean percentage, SD) were 63% (21), and the post-course scores were 62% (20) after training. DISCUSSION: This novel diagnostic ultrasound course led to limited improvements of ultrasound knowledge in the specific areas of the key ultrasound findings pulmonary system and lower limb muscle anatomy. The pre-reading material and course structure may have been too burdensome for the participants.

conclusionCombined lung and muscle diagnostic ultrasound course may require more than the standard one-day training for appropriate knowledge acquisition, and use of online pre-course video lectures may facilitate learning.