Patient Education and Community Outreach in Diagnostic Medical Sonography Programs

Objective: A research project was conducted to determine what patient education skills, community health education skills, and community outreach activities are included in the US-accredited diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) programs. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional research survey was sent via email to DMS program directors of 245 accredited programs, resulting in 118 (48.2%) completed surveys returned. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects before the study. The survey assessed the inclusion of 13 specific patient education skills, eight community education skills, and nine community health/outreach activities in DMS programs. Results: Of the 12 patient education skills, 11 were routinely included in 90% of programs. The remaining skill of patient negotiation was included in 75.1% of programs. For patient education skills, 69.4% were required by programs, and 30.6% were encouraged by programs. Community education skills were less commonly included in DMS programs, with 27.4% to 51.3% inclusion rates. The most common community education skill was tailoring messages to intended public audiences. Community outreach activity inclusion in programs ranged from 32.5% to 66.7%, with 77.5% only encouraging participation. Health fairs, health screenings, and self-care education were the most common activities. Incorporating community-related skills into the curriculum was listed as a “good idea” by 72.6% of program directors. Conclusion: Patient education skills are routinely required or encouraged in almost all responding educational programs. However, most DMS programs do not require or encourage community education skills. Community outreach activities are not generally required or encouraged by DMS programs, with health fairs and screenings being the most common. Time constraints are the most cited reason for not including community-related content or activities in the programs.