An instructional program to facilitate teaching joint/soft-tissue injection and aspiration.
OBJECTIVE
We developed an instructional program to teach aspiration and injection techniques of the knee and shoulder to medical students and residents.


METHODS
Residents and fourth-year medical students participating in a rheumatology elective were assigned by deterministic allocation into 3 groups: the Traditional group received no specific instruction in arthrocentesis but simply rotated through rheumatology, learning injection techniques only if they saw patients who required them; the Lecture-only group received only the didactic lecture and did not have the opportunity to practice on the models; the Program group participated in the newly developed program of instruction that combined a didactic lecture and a hands-on workshop using the anatomic models to practice arthrocentesis techniques.


RESULTS
The scores on the written examination for those in the Program group (mean score 37.46 out of 40 possible) and the Lecture-only group (mean 37.75) were significantly higher than those of the Traditional group (mean 33.15) (P <.05). The scores on the practical examination for those in the Program group (mean score 24.08 out of 26 possible) were significantly higher than those of the Lecture-only (mean 20.50) and Traditional (mean 17.33) (P <.05)


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of this type of instruction to supplement a traditional internal medicine rotation can enhance a learner's ability to perform joint/soft-tissue injection and aspiration.
Vogelgesang
Scott A
SA
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. scott-vogelgesang@uiowa.edu
Karplus
Theresa M
TM
Kreiter
Clarence D
CD
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007719:Knee Joint; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D013396:Suction / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*