A portrait of Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound training programs in Europe: Current practices and opportunities for improvement.

backgroundEndoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and EUS are challenging procedures requiring a high level of expertise to provide effective and safe patient care. Thus, high-quality training is needed to achieve competence. We aimed to evaluate the status of European ERCP/EUS training programs, to evaluate adherence to international recommendations, and to propose possible solutions for future improvements.

methodsA web-based survey was developed and ERCP/EUS experts and trainees across Europe were invited to participate.

resultsForty-one experts (out of 50; 82%) and 30 trainees (out of 70; 42.9%) from 18 countries answered the questionnaire. The training program application process is mainly driven by individual requests (87.8%). All surveyed departments offer combined ERCP/EUS training and the majority have adequate facilities and trainers. Although centers are high-volume and provide long-term fellowships, trainee hands-on exposure is not very high (43% expect to do (or did) 100-150 ERCPs and 69% up to 150 EUSs). A formal curriculum is in place in 53.7% centers, including simulation-training in 27.3%. Competence is assessed in 65.7% of centers, but validated tools are applied in only 33.3%.

conclusionsThis survey first provides an overview of ERCP/EUS training programs across Europe. It shows that there is adherence to international guidelines to a certain degree, but several gaps in the application process, use of simulators for training, training curriculum and assessment of performance have been recognized. Overcoming these shortcomings could serve as a basis for further improvement in ERCP/EUS training.