title: Tailored ultrasound learning for acute care surgeons: a review of the MUSEC (Modular UltraSound ESTES Course) project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery (ESTES) identified the need for general and trauma surgeons involved in the management of critically ill surgical patients to embrace and learn both basic and advanced US skills. A steering group was created to address this deficit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Modular UltraSound ESTES Course (MUSEC) is a modular blended-learning course. It incorporates pre-test/post-test examinations, pre-course online materials, didactic and interactive lectures, interactive case scenarios discussion with pathological US clips, hands-on practice on healthy volunteer models, and on original phantoms for simulating both pathological US findings and practicing US-guided interventional maneuvers. Four independent modules were provided. Surgical decision-making didactics were also included in the course curriculum. Learning gain (Δ of the rating of pre-test and post-test) was calculated for each module. An anonymous post-course satisfaction survey was also administered (16 questions with a Likert's 5-point scale of evaluation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three MUSEC Courses were run in a 30 months period, training 416 doctors from 29 countries. A total of 52 modules were delivered. The mean pre-test and post-test grades were 8.3/12 and 10.7/12, respectively, yielding a significant mean learning gain of 28.9 % (p = 0.001). Post-course satisfaction survey got an overall ranking of 4.5/5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MUSEC is an effective and original educational format, enjoyed by candidates, that fills an educational gap for tailored US education as a procedural skill to acute care surgeons. Ongoing revisions should reduce the current limitations and increase the educational value, in terms of number of modules and post-course credentialing.
authors.affiliation: Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit, General Surgery Department, Policlinico San Pietro, Via Forlanini 15, Ponte San Pietro, BG, Italy. maurozago.md@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zago
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Hospital Médico-Quirúrgico, Jaén, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martinez Casas
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department 1, Tondela-Viseu Hospital Centre, Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Legnano Hospital, ASST Ovest Milanese, Legnano, MI, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Pedro Hispano Hospital, Mathosinos, Portugal.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Istituto Clinico Città Studi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casamassima
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Pedro Hispano Hospital, Mathosinos, Portugal.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Pedro Hispano Hospital, Mathosinos, Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruesseler
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bass
authors.affiliation: Emergency Surgery, Milton Keynes University Hospital, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ponchietti
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, CHUV Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Butti
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department, S. Maria delle Stelle Hospital, ASST Melegnano e Martesana, Melzo, MI, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Department 1, Tondela-Viseu Hospital Centre, Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D016730:Program Development; D066231:Surgeons / Q000193:education*; D014194:Traumatology / Q000379:methods*; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000193:education*
keywords: Acute abdomen; Acute care surgery; Interventional ultrasound; Trauma; Ultrasound