Objective: Assess the use of a volumetric simulation tool for the evaluation of radiology resident MR and CT interpretation skills.
Material and methods: Forty-three participants were evaluated with a software allowing the visualisation of multiple volumetric image series. There were 7 medical students, 28 residents and 8 senior radiologists among the participants. Residents were divided into two sub-groups (novice and advanced). The test was composed of 15 exercises on general radiology and lasted 45 min. Participants answered a questionnaire on their experience with the test using a 5-point Likert scale. This study was approved by the dean of the medical school and did not require ethics committee approval.
Results: The reliability of the test was good with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.9. Test scores were significantly different in all sub-groups studies (p < 0.0225). The relation between test scores and the year of residency was logarithmic (R2 = 0.974). Participants agreed that the test reflected their radiological practice (3.9 ± 0.9 on a 5-point scale) and was better than the conventional evaluation methods (4.6 ± 0.5 on a 5-point scale).
Conclusion: This software provides a high quality evaluation tool for the assessment of the interpretation skills in radiology residents.
Key points: • This tool allows volumetric image analysis of MR and CT studies. • A high reliability test could be created with this tool. • Test scores were strongly associated with the examinee expertise level. • Examinees positively evaluated the authenticity and usability of this tool.
Keywords: Education; Radiology residents; Radiology test; Test quality; Volumetric images.