An anatomical approach to teaching the clinical evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries to primary care providers (536.5)

A solid understanding of anatomy is essential for successful clinical evaluation of musculoskeletal injuries. However, reinforcement of basic anatomical knowledge is often not part of continuing medical education (CME) for providers in the primary care setting, a group that is often first to evaluate musculoskeletal injuries. To address this gap, two lectures, one on the knee and the other on the shoulder, were presented to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical assistants at a university student health center for CME credit. In pre‐lecture surveys the clinicians indicated that, on average, they were not confident to somewhat confident in their ability to evaluate knee and shoulder pain. A key feature of the lectures was their organization following the clinical examination process, with emphasis on palpation and testing of the underlying anatomy and differential diagnosis of common injuries. In post‐lecture surveys the clinicians reported increased knowledge of anatomy, palpation, testing procedures, and specific injuries as well as increased confidence in their evaluation of knee and shoulder injuries. This project demonstrates that basic science presentations for primary care clinicians given within the familiar context of the clinical examination can contribute to increasing their clinical knowledge and confidence with common musculoskeletal assessments. Grant Funding Source : Supported by NIH NRSA Fellowship Award NINDS F31 NS081957