Education and Use of Lung Ultrasound in Rheumatology and Pneumology in Spain: A SER-SEPAR Survey.

Introduction: Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a clinical and research tool with great potential in the diagnosis and monitoring of diffuse interstitial lung disease (ILD) present in systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD). Appropriate training in LUS is essential for the correct and safe use of this technique.
Objective: To document the current state of LUS education and use among Spanish rheumatologists and pneumologists.
Material and Methods: A national online survey was designed for members of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology and the ILD Area of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery. The survey consisted of 22 questions on demographics, professional activity, performance and training in LUS.
Results: One hundred and thirty-five (56.72% rheumatologists, 41.79% pneumologists) responded to the survey. Of these, 56.30% were part of an ILD Unit in their centre. LUS in clinical practice was performed by 35.82% but only 14.93% performed it in ILD, mainly for diagnostic purposes. Training in LUS of responders had been diverse in format, content and sponsors. The vast majority (87.79%) considered that the optimal model of education in LUS should be standardized and structured and consist of a combination of theoretical-practical courses and the conduct of a minimum number of supervised LUS examinations, with competency assessment.
Conclusions: The current lack of formal structured education in LUS is an opportunity to develop quality educational programmes in this emerging field.
(Copyright © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.)