OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a standardized training program and a reliability exercise in colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) for giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: Two workshops were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to train rheumatologists in CDUS for GCA ultrasound diagnosis. Twenty-nine and forty-three participants without previous experience in GCA ultrasound were admitted in 2007 and 2008, respectively. First, some theoretical knowledge about GCA ultrasound signs was provided; second, a reader evaluation session of temporal artery video recording examinations of 27 and 30 patients were projected in the 2007 meeting and the 2008 workshop, respectively (50% were cases and 50% were controls). Twenty-four cases were common to both reader sessions. A mean of six videos were shown of each patient. Each video had to be assessed as normal or pathologic. Finally, hands-on scanning training was performed. To assess the efficacy of the workshop: 1) a structured satisfaction questionnaire was graded (1-5 Likert scale), and 2) the reliability, specificity, and percentage of correctly classified cases by each participant were calculated. RESULTS: The kappa coefficient of inter-reader agreement for the 29 and 43 participants was excellent (Kappa: 0.846) in 2007 and (Kappa: 0.848) in 2008. The intra-reader kappa result was also excellent (Kappa: 0.950). The satisfaction, sensitivity, specificity, and percentage of correctly classified patients and controls were very high. CONCLUSION: The proposed learning method seemed to be effective and well accepted by the target audience. The inter-reader reliability of GCA ultrasound was excellent. These encouraging results support the need for planned standardized training programs.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a standardized training program and a reliability exercise in colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) for giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: Two workshops were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to train rheumatologists in CDUS for GCA ultrasound diagnosis. Twenty-nine and forty-three participants without previous experience in GCA ultrasound were admitted in 2007 and 2008, respectively. First, some theoretical knowledge about GCA ultrasound signs was provided; second, a reader evaluation session of temporal artery video recording examinations of 27 and 30 patients were projected in the 2007 meeting and the 2008 workshop, respectively (50% were cases and 50% were controls). Twenty-four cases were common to both reader sessions. A mean of six videos were shown of each patient. Each video had to be assessed as normal or pathologic. Finally, hands-on scanning training was performed. To assess the efficacy of the workshop: 1) a structured satisfaction questionnaire was graded (1-5 Likert scale), and 2) the reliability, specificity, and percentage of correctly classified cases by each participant were calculated. RESULTS: The kappa coefficient of inter-reader agreement for the 29 and 43 participants was excellent (Kappa: 0.846) in 2007 and (Kappa: 0.848) in 2008. The intra-reader kappa result was also excellent (Kappa: 0.950). The satisfaction, sensitivity, specificity, and percentage of correctly classified patients and controls were very high. CONCLUSION: The proposed learning method seemed to be effective and well accepted by the target audience. The inter-reader reliability of GCA ultrasound was excellent. These encouraging results support the need for planned standardized training programs.
Authors: Enrico Ammirati; Francesco Moroni; Patrizia Pedrotti; Isabella Scotti; Marco Magnoni; Enrica P Bozzolo; Ornella E Rimoldi; Paolo G Camici Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2014-08-18 Impact factor: 7.561
Authors: K D F Lensen; E F I Comans; A E Voskuyl; C J van der Laken; E Brouwer; A T Zwijnenburg; L M Pereira Arias-Bouda; A W J M Glaudemans; R H J A Slart; Y M Smulders Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2015-01-28 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Jianna He; Luke Williamson; Beverly Ng; Jeremy Wang; Nicholas Manolios; Socrates Angelides; David Farlow; Peter K K Wong Journal: Int J Rheum Dis Date: 2022-01-22 Impact factor: 2.558