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Evaluation of the American college of surgeons thyroid and parathyroid ultrasound course: Results of a web‐based survey
Author(s) -
Sharma Giriraj K.,
Sofferman Robert A.,
Armstrong William B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.26335
Subject(s) - medicine , specialty , likert scale , rating scale , medical education , medical physics , family medicine , psychology , developmental psychology
Objectives/Hypothesis The American College of Surgeons Thyroid and Parathyroid Ultrasound Skills‐Oriented Course (TPUSC) was designed to teach surgeons how to interpret and perform office‐based head and neck ultrasound (HNUS). The objective of this study was to survey attendees of the TPUSC to evaluate the usefulness of the course, to track surgeon performed HNUS practice patterns, and to help identify potential roadblocks to incorporation of HNUS into a surgeon's practice. Study Design Cross‐sectional survey. Methods A Web‐based survey was sent to 952 surgeons who completed the TPUSC between 2010 and 2014. Questions included surgeon specialty, practice type, Likert scale rating of the TPUSC, competency with different HNUS procedures, and current HNUS practice patterns. Results The response rate was 24%. On a scale from 1 (not useful) to 5 (extremely valuable), the mean course usefulness rating was 4.2. Educational goals were met for 194 (92%) surgeons, and 162 (77%) surgeons reported performing HNUS in their practice. Of 48 surgeons not performing HNUS, 24 (50%) attributed insufficient time in their clinic schedule, and 21 (44%) attributed high equipment costs. Conclusions The TPUSC is a valuable educational experience for surgeons seeking to gain proficiency in HNUS. The majority of TPUSC graduates gain competency with at least one type of HNUS procedure following the course. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope , 127:1950–1958, 2017