Competency Matrix in the area of Ultrasonography for a Medical Residency Program in Radiology and Imaging Diagnosis
Competency-Based Education; Ultrasonography; Medical Residency; Curriculum; Teaching.
The medical training process in Brazil and around the world has been improving in recent decades, mainly due to changes in the structure of medical curriculum. Competency-based education has been the main focus of curricular changes, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as it strives for the result of quality training. These are the goals that every student must achieve at the end of the course, with the preceptor as an indispensable agent in this process when taking on the challenge of combining teaching with care work. To standardize the training process in these environments, there is a need to develop competency matrices for each specialty. The Medical Residency Programs in Radiology and Imaging Diagnosis (PRM-RDI) encompass several subspecialties, including Ultrasonography, which has peculiar characteristics. In this context, there is a lack of clarity regarding specific skills for Ultrasonography. This study sought to determine the Ultrasonography Competency Matrix for the PRM-RDI of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. It is an exploratory and descriptive study that had the participation of nine preceptors and was developed in two stages. The first step was the construction, by the researcher, of the initial semi-structured matrix based on document analysis of existing protocols and guidelines. The second stage was the collective construction of the final matrix through the structuring of the initial matrix using the Delphi method. After three rounds of interactive questionnaires between November 2022 and April 2023, with closed and open questions, a consensus of participants' opinions was reached and the final competency matrix was obtained. Coherence was observed between the quantitative aspect of the answers to the closed questions and the opinions of the participants in the open questions. The highest rate of agreement occurred between the general competencies, with their teaching methods, and the specific competencies in the medical areas that are more developed by the preceptors. The highest rate of disagreement was found in some assessment methods and in some activities with little training opportunity. The final competency matrix was constructed respecting the requirements of the basic official guidelines established in the area of diagnostic imaging and the particularities of the practice scenarios, valuing the actors involved.