Procedures for the content, conduct and format of EULAR/PReS paediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound courses

Background Despite the worldwide increasing request of education on paediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound (PedMSUS), content, conduct and format of PedMSUS courses have never been internationally agreed. Objectives To produce educational procedures for the conduct, content and format of EULAR/PReS PedMSUS courses. Methods After a systemic literature review and expert opinion collection, a panel of items for the development of procedures on PedMSUS courses was identified. Agreement on the items was assessed through Delphi surveys among a taskforce of 24 members, which included 18 experts in PedMSUS (8 rheumatologists, 1 radiologist, 9 paediatric rheumatologists), 1 methodologist and rheumatologist expert in MSUS, 2 patient research partners, 1 health professional in rheumatology and 2 EMEUNET/EMERGE members, from 8 different European countries. Each item was assessed through a 5-point Likert scale (0, full disagreement; 5, full agreement); agreement was reached for >75% of answers rating 4-5. All items with agreement were included in the preliminary core set of educational procedures, which underwent external assessment by a broader Consensus group (Faculty and Tutors of previous EULAR PedMSUS courses and PReS Imaging Working Party members), through Delphi survey. Results Two Delphi surveys produced the preliminary core set of procedures for basic, intermediate, advanced and teach-the-teachers (TTT) PedMSUS courses. A Delphi survey within the Consensus group produced agreement on the proposed procedures. Conclusions Shared EULAR/PReS procedures for the conduct, content and format of basic, intermediate, advanced and TTT PedMSUS courses were identified on international basis.