To investigate and analyze the disease system and knowledge ability system of China's standardized training for ultrasound residents, to provide a basis for the design of graduation examination.

The expert group of "Study on Validity of Graduation Assessment of Residents' Standardized Training (Ultrasound Medicine Specialty)" of the National Health Commission was selected to conduct the investigation. A disease system including 5 parts and 34 specific diseases was established. The evaluators independently evaluated the recommended number of completed ultrasound examinations and the importance weight of each disease. Besides, a knowledge-ability system including 19 items on knowledge, skills, and abilities required for ultrasonic training was established too. The weight of each indicator in the knowledge-ability system was evaluated independently. The disease-knowledge ability system joint table was established, multiplying the weight of each index of the above two systems.

For the disease system, the top ten diseases with the highest total weight were focal liver lesions, thyroid disease, breast disease, diffuse liver lesions, gallbladder disease, ovarian disease, valvular heart disease and coronary heart disease, carotid and vertebral artery disease, atrial/ventricular deficiency, and myocardial disease. The top five diseases with the highest importance score were ovarian disease, valvular heart disease and coronary heart disease, atrial/ventricular deficiency, breast disease, and thyroid disease. For the knowledge-ability system, the top four items with the highest weight were diagnosis and differential diagnosis skills, scanning and image analysis skills, knowledge of anatomy, pathology, and pathophysiology, and report writing skills. The top three items of the disease and knowledge-ability system linkage table were the diagnosis and differential diagnosis skills of focal liver lesions, thyroid disease, and breast disease.

This study evaluated the weight of each index of the disease system and knowledge ability system, which could provide a basis for the design of graduation assessment of the national training for ultrasound residents.