The assessment of endosonographers in training

Table 2 Assessment form used by Meenan et al[8] to evaluate and assess endosonographers in training using a radial array echoendoscope

Site	Structures	Points
Esophagus	Liver, inferior vena cava/hepatic veins, crus, abdominal aorta, spine, right pleura, thoracic aorta, left atrium, aortic outflow, left pulmonary vein, azygous vein, thoracic duct, right/left bronchus, carina, aortic arch, carotids, trachea, thyroid	18 points (minimum score for competence: 12 points)
Stomach	Stomach wall layer pattern, celiac axis, left adrenal, portal confluence, splenic vein, splenic artery, follow course of splenic vein	8 points (following course of splenic vein: 2 points; minimum score for competence: 5 points)
Duodenum	Gall bladder, portal vein, pancreatic duct, abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, uncinate process, superior mesenteric vein, superior mesenteric artery, follow course of common bile duct	11 points (following course of common bile duct: 3 points; minimum score for competence: 7.5 points)
Use of ultrasound controls	Frequency, range, brightness/contrast	3 points

Points were awarded for the ability to produce “best views with certainity” from the three different positions of scanning. The minimum score for competence in each of the positions is provided in the rightmost column. Adapted from Meenan et al[8] and reprinted with permission from Georg Thieme Verlag KG.