900 Section - Developing and Evaluating a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Anatomy Course for Physiatry Residents: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Physiatry Education

Objectives : Musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound is increasingly important in physiatry (PM&R), yet Canadian residency programs lack standardized educational objectives. A national survey (Amatto, 2021; AAPM&R) found that 97% of residents were interested in incorporating ultrasound into practice, but 73% reported “none” to “limited” exposure during training. Informal feedback at our institution echoed this, revealing variable exposure and low confidence. Previous research (Sarahrose, 2025; J Med Educ Curric Dev) demonstrated the efficacy of blended didactic and hands-on MSK ultrasound teaching; therefore, we developed structured modules in 2023 to address these gaps. This quality improvement (QI) project aims to implement and evaluate the MSK ultrasound anatomy course across three Canadian PM&R programs between October 2025 and June 2026, assessing feasibility, engagement, and changes in resident confidence to guide iterative refinement and national dissemination.

Design: Nine-modules were developed for physiatry residents, led by a MSK physiatrist. Each one-hour module uses standardized copyright-compliant materials, integrating pre-reading, anatomy review, didactic instruction, and supervised ultrasound scanning. Following the IHI’s Model for Improvement, the first plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle will introduce the course to three residency programs and collect data via surveys on feasibility, engagement, and perceived value. Findings will inform course optimization and guide expansion to additional Canadian programs in subsequent PDSA cycles.

Results: Outcome measures will include post-course survey data from 5-point Likert scales, plotted on run charts to assess feasibility and value. Process measures include course completion rates, while anticipated balancing measures include scheduling challenges, resource use, or poorly perceived course value. These data will establish a baseline to inform iterative improvement, standardization, and dissemination. We anticipate enhanced resident confidence and competence in MSK ultrasound skills.

Conclusion: This early-stage project addresses an educational gap. Through an iterative process, we aim to develop a sustainable, reproducible model for MSK ultrasound education in physiatry training.