Assessment Tool Gauges Radiology Resident Competency

A new assessment tool evaluating five categories helps assess the procedural competence of radiology trainees, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentengology. Researchers from Canada performed a prospective study assessing a tool that would gauge the competence of radiology trainees, evaluating content, response process, internal structure, relations to other variables, and consequences. The RAD-score tool was developed by evaluating published literature and using a modified Delphi procedure involving a group of local content experts. Seven radiology department faculty members tested the pilot version, evaluating multiple procedures performed by 25 residents in both clinical and simulation settings. The main outcome measure was the percentage of residents who were considered ready to perform procedures independently, with testing conducted to determine differences between levels of training. The results showed 105 forms (for 52 procedures performed in a clinical setting and 53 procedures performed in a simulation setting) were collected for a variety of procedures: • 8 vascular or interventional; • 42 body;• 12 musculoskeletal;• 23 chest; and • 20 breast.  A statistically significant difference was noted in the percentage of trainees who were rated as being ready to perform a procedure independently in postgraduate year (PGY): • PGY 2: 12 percent;  • PGY3: 61 percent; • PGY4: 85 percent; and • PGY5: 88 percent. The differences persisted in the clinical and simulation settings. User feedback and psychometric analysis were used to create a final version of the form. The researchers concluded implementation of such a tool in the radiology residency curriculum can play an instrumental role in the transition to competency-based radiology training.