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. 2016 Oct 21;16(1):277.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-016-0799-6.

Use of structured musculoskeletal examination routines in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate clinical practice - a UK survey

Kenneth F Baker  1 , Sharmila Jandial  2   3 , Ben Thompson  2 , David Walker  2 , Ken Taylor  4 , Helen E Foster  2   3
Affiliations

Use of structured musculoskeletal examination routines in undergraduate medical education and postgraduate clinical practice - a UK survey

Kenneth F Baker et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Structured examination routines have been developed as educational resources for musculoskeletal clinical skills teaching, including Gait-Arms-Legs-Spine (GALS), Regional Examination of the Musculoskeletal System (REMS) and paediatric GALS (pGALS). In this study, we aimed to assess the awareness and use of these examination routines in undergraduate medical teaching in UK medical schools and UK postgraduate clinical practice.

Methods: Electronic questionnaires were distributed to adult and paediatric musculoskeletal teaching leads at UK medical schools and current UK doctors in training.

Results: Responses were received from 67 tutors representing teaching at 22/33 [67 %] of all UK medical schools, and 70 trainee doctors across a range of postgraduate training specialities. There was widespread adoption, at responding medical schools, of the adult examination routines within musculoskeletal teaching (GALS: 14/16 [88 %]; REMS: 12/16 [75 %]) and assessment (GALS: 13/16 [81 %]; REMS: 12/16 [75 %]). More trainees were aware of GALS (64/70 [91 %]) than REMS (14/67 [21 %]). Of the 39 trainees who used GALS in their clinical practice, 35/39 [90 %] reported that it had improved their confidence in musculoskeletal examination. Of the 17/22 responding medical schools that included paediatric musculoskeletal examination within their curricula, 15/17 [88 %] used the pGALS approach and this was included within student assessment at 4 medical schools.

Conclusions: We demonstrate the widespread adoption of these examination routines in undergraduate education and significant uptake in postgraduate clinical practice. Further study is required to understand their impact upon clinical performance.

Keywords: Clinical practice; Examination; GALS; Medical education; Musculoskeletal; Postgraduate; Questionnaire; REMS; Undergraduate; pGALS.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Awareness (a) and use (b) of structured musculoskeletal examination routines by undergraduate tutors and postgraduate trainee doctors. Tutor awareness is shown as percentage of adult tutor responses received for GALS and REMS, and as percentage of total tutor responses for pGALS. Use in medical school teaching and assessment is shown as percentage of medical schools at which responding tutors are based. ns: not surveyed
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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