E-learning in ultrasonography: a web-based approach

Objective: To propose e-learning methods that address the fundamental problems related to sonographic training in rheumatology. Methods: The project was designed for rheumatologists with strong motivation to learn ultrasound. A modular approach was constructed, consisting of a basic 3- day residential course, followed by a 6- month period of web- based tutoring, and culminating in a final 2- day residential course with a formal assessment of competency. Results: The website ( http:// www.e-sonography.com) was accessed by all 60 participants. A mean of 20 ( range 10 - 80) log- on sessions were registered for each participant, and a mean of 250 min ( range 60 - 600 min) of web access was recorded. A total of 163 sonographic images were submitted by 18 ( 30%) participants. The majority of the images focused on the following anatomical areas: shoulder 49 ( 30%), hand 34 ( 21%) and knee 20 ( 12%). A total time investment of approximately 14 h was made by the US tutors over the 6-month period for interaction with the participants. Conclusions: The e- learning methods described in this report represent the first attempt to adopt a novel technique to circumvent several of the inherent barriers to the many facets of teaching musculoskeletal ultrasound to a wide audience.