To explore the application of "verifiable independent study" continuing medical education pattern in ultrasound department.

Between June 2022 and June 2023, 49 radiologists and 10 evaluators from Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Beijing Sixth Hospital were enrolled to conduct a one-year practical study named "verifiable independent study" continuing medical education pattern research. Radiologists independently carried out learning and uploaded the learning content. Evaluators granted the radiologists corresponding credits according to our credit rules. At the beginning and end of the study, the career-related ability evaluations (including professional quality, professional knowledge and skills, teaching ability, scientific research ability, medical system management ability, critical illness recognition ability, medical quality, popular science communication ability, doctor-patient communication ability, and team cooperation ability) of all radiologists by themselves and evaluators were performed. Besides, the evaluations of the effectiveness, rationality, and satisfaction to our study by radiologists and evaluators were performed. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov method was used to test whether the data had a normal distribution, and the paired t-test was used to compare the difference in the evaluations of ability indicators before and after learning.

After carrying out the "verifiable independent study" continuing medical education pattern, five career-related ability indicators evaluated by the radiologists themselves improved significantly compared with those before learning, including professional quality (9.41±0.93 vs 9.18±1.11, t=2.529, P=0.015), professional knowledge and skills (8.94±0.93 vs 8.69±1.31, t=2.283, P=0.027), medical quality (9.37±0.80 vs 9.18±0.92, t=2.139, P=0.038), doctor-patient communication ability (9.33±0.85 vs 9.14±0.91, t=2.139, P=0.038), and teamwork (9.39±0.81 vs 9.22±0.96, t=2.685, P=0.010). Five career-related ability indicators evaluated by the evaluators improved significantly, including professional knowledge and skills (9.25±0.81 vs 8.95±1.01, t=2.466, P=0.017), teaching ability (9.22±0.83 vs 8.89±0.96, t=3.720, P<0.001), scientific research ability (8.98±0.97 vs 8.70±1.11, t=2.140, P=0.038), doctor-patient communication ability (9.50±0.73 vs 9.23±0.96, t=2.901, P=0.005), and teamwork (9.30±0.90 vs 9.09±1.03, t=2.148, P=0.037). The vast majority (93.9%-96.0%) of the radiologists and all the evaluators believed that the validity and rationality of "verifiable independent-study" credit management pattern were acceptable and were satisfied with it.

The "verifiable independent study" continuing medical education pattern could possibly improve the career-related abilities of radiologists, and has a good acceptance in ultrasound department.