When trainees reach competency in performing endoscopic ultrasound: a systematic review.

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) recommends that trainees complete 150 endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedures before assessing competency. However, this recommendation is largely based on limited evidence and expert opinion. With new evidence suggesting that this historical threshold is underestimating training requirements, we evaluated the learning curve for achieving competency in EUS.  Two investigators independently searched MEDLINE for full-text citations assessing the learning curve for achieving competency in EUS in the period 1946 to 25 March 2016. A learning curve was defined as either a tabulated or graphic representation of competency as a function of increasing EUS experience.  Eight studies assessing 28 trainees and 7051 EUS procedures were included. When stratifying studies based on procedural indication: three studies assessed competency in evaluating mucosal lesions, three studies assessed competency in EUS fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), and two studies assessed comprehensive competency. Among studies assessing mucosal lesion T-staging accuracy, competency was achieved by 65 to 231 procedures. Among studies assessing EUS-FNA, competency was achieved by 30 to 40 procedures. Among the two studies assessing comprehensive competency in EUS, competency was not achieved in either study across all trainees. Only four of 17 trainees reached competency by 225 to 295 EUS procedures.  As EUS competency assessment has evolved to more closely reflect independent clinical practice, the number of procedures required to achieve competency has risen well above ASGE recommendations. Advanced endoscopy training programs and specialty societies need to re-assess the structure of EUS training.