Background/Purpose

To address the problem of insufficient training in Musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases by practicing primary care providers (PCPs), the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Specialty Care Transformation provided pilot funding through a competitive, peer-reviewed process, to develop and support a “MSK Mini-Residency” to train PCPs in evaluation and management of common MSK diseases.   Methods The 3 day MSK mini-residency curriculum intersperses didactic lectures with small group workshops, as well as case based interactive small-group practice sessions and technology-enhanced simulation (see full schedule, Table 1). Participants’ competency in performing and interpreting the physical examination of the shoulder and knee is evaluated by a 2-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), to ensure sufficient preparation for assessing patients in clinic. Course evaluation was conducted using the Kirkpatrick’s model of assessing educational effectiveness, and Phillip’s concept of Return on Investment.   Table 1

Results

From 2012-2014, the 3-day MSK Mini-Residency course has been presented at 12 VA medical centers, serving catchment areas centered in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Omaha, Louisville, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Tampa, Orlando, and Boston. Table 2 shows the distribution of participants by professional credential, as well as their pre- and post-course self-assessments of their ability and preparation to evaluate and manage shoulder and knee pain in their clinics. 

  Table 2