USU: Knowledge Skills Assessment (KSA) – Orthopaedic Surgery Competency, 2022-2025

Program Description

The KSA (Knowledge Skills and Abilities) Clinical Readiness Program is designed to assure the clinical readiness of military medical personnel to provide comprehensive patient care across all role theaters. The goal of the program is to sustain clinical capabilities for expeditionary practice between deployments through routine assessment and focused training opportunities to close any identified gap areas in currency or capability. The metrics for the KSA clinical readiness program include routine knowledge assessment using comprehensive multiple choice exams that cover the breadth and depth of identified performance requirements for each clinical specialty. These performance requirements were identified through a rigorous process that included representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force with relevant clinical expertise in each specialty domain and recent deployment experience. These specialists used a consensus approach to establish the required competencies for the expeditionary scope of practice within their respective specialties, and reviewed multiple specialty and military clinical practice guidelines that typify the performance requirements. They identified a performance taxonomy that includes critical performance categories, sub-categories, and specific competencies, with specific performance benchmarks for requisite knowledge determined by consensus and professional practice guidelines. This course addresses the knowledge component of these domain competencies, each of which are delineated in Appendix 3 of the attached document.

Target Audience

This activity provides continuing education for physicians.

This activity is also approved for physicians who are board certified with the American Board of Surgery.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify the best patient management strategy for specific clinical situations at various role theaters.
  2. Select optimal strategies for patient transport across role theaters.
  3. Determine the best strategies for resource allocation and management in austere care contexts.
  4. Illustrate the best strategy for managing military-specific concerns in the context of patient care (e.g. Live ordinance, detainees, local nationals, care under fire, etc.).
  5. Identify the best strategies for caring for an injured or ill working dog.
  6. Recognize the necessary communication and documentation requirements that must be implemented as part of patient care in deployed settings.
  7. Demonstrate familiarity with the Joint Trauma System reporting and documentation requirements.
  8. Describe the methods for cervical spine clearance in the reliable and obtunded/unreliable patient.
  9. Demonstrate knowledge of treatment protocols for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) based upon number of concussive events within 12 month period.
  10. Given a level of contamination and size of a war wound, correctly identify the volume and type of irrigation fluid that is recommended following sharp debridement.
  11. Describe various adjunctive techniques for infection control in war wounds, such as use of antibiotic impregnated cement beads and spacers.
  12. Identify the expected outcomes and performance measures used for performance improvement monitoring in the role II management of Compartment Syndrome.
  13. Recognize that amputations should be performed at the most distal level that provides viable bone for soft tissue coverage or closure, accepting atypical skin and tissue flaps as necessary.
  14. Describe the role for systemic and topical antibiotics including Dakin’s solution (and how to make) in this injury pattern.
  15. Describe the challenges and limitations of performing host nation fracture care in austere environments.
  16. Recognize the need for fasciotomy to avoid reperfusion injuries associated with vascular repair/prolonged ischemia of time.
  17. Identify cold injury as an event which must be reported to Chain of Command (CoC).
  18. Define hypothermia and its physiologic consequences (e.g., coagulopathy, acidosis).
  19. Describe the indications and contraindications for evacuation of catastrophic brain injury patients.
  20. Describe the relationship between early adequate pain control and the subsequent development of chronic pain syndromes and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 60.00 ABS MOC II
  • 60.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. DHA J-7 CEPO designated this Enduring Material (Home Study) activity for a maximum of 60.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 60.00 Certificate of Attendance
  • 60.00 IPCE
    This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners can receive up to 60.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change. In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by DHA, J-7, CEPO. DHA, J-7, CEPO is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (ARBO/COPE), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Dental Association’s Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP), and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to provide continuing education for the health care team.
Course opens: 
05/10/2022
Course expires: 
05/10/2025

Christopher Renninger, M.D. Presenter has no financial or non-financial relationships to disclose.

Available Credit

  • 60.00 ABS MOC II
  • 60.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    DHA J-7 CEPO is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. DHA J-7 CEPO designated this Enduring Material (Home Study) activity for a maximum of 60.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 60.00 Certificate of Attendance
  • 60.00 IPCE
    This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners can receive up to 60.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change. In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by DHA, J-7, CEPO. DHA, J-7, CEPO is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (ARBO/COPE), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Dental Association’s Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP), and Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) to provide continuing education for the health care team.
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Accommodations for Learners with Hearing Impairment

Captions and transcripts are available upon request for all CE/CME live events and on-demand courses sponsored by J-7 CEPO.

Live events:
To request real-time, streaming closed captions, please contact CEPO at least three business days before an event begins. If CEPO cannot arrange for live event captioning, then a video recording and transcript of the audio will be provided after the event. 

On-demand "Home Study" courses:
You may request a transcript (a written account of a pre-recorded video’s audio content) upon registering for a CEPO Home Study course. 

CEPO can typically deliver a transcript within ten business days.

For more information, or to submit a request, please contact CEPO at dha.ncr.j7.mbx.cepo-cms-support@mail.mil.