ELECTROMYOGRAPHY TRAINING FOR 10 DOCTORS

Together with our partners, Vodafone Ukraine, we funded an EMG (electromyography) training course for 10 doctors working with wounded patients in hospitals in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Dnipro, Lviv, and Rakhiv. The total cost of the training amounted to 402,740 UAH.

The training consisted of two courses – stimulation EMG and needle EMG. Each course included theoretical parts, independent study, and practical sessions.

Electroneuromyography is a modern and essential diagnostic method widely used in neurosurgery, neurology, and rehabilitation for nerve and muscle system injuries. In rehabilitation, EMG is used for several crucial purposes:

– Identifying muscle activity to further evaluate treatment and prescribe a prosthesis if needed.

– Selecting a prosthesis: based on EMG data, specialists can adjust the prosthesis to respond appropriately to signals from the muscles. This allows for the creation of a prosthesis that is easier and more natural to use.

– Monitoring muscle activity during rehabilitation exercises and prosthesis use. This helps ensure the correct performance of exercises and track the patient’s progress.

Thus, EMG is a vital tool in the rehabilitation of people with limb amputations, helping improve the quality of life and functionality of patients. It allows for an accurate assessment of the state of muscles and nerves, which is particularly important in the rehabilitation of military personnel with various injuries, including wounds and concussions.

Today, in the conditions of full-scale war, the number of rehabilitation patients, both military and civilian, has sharply increased. Many people have upper and lower limb amputations, cranio-cerebral and spinal injuries, all of whom need effective rehabilitation. Unfortunately, our country and medical system were not prepared for such a flow of patients, so the participation of charitable organizations is crucial for developing the rehabilitation direction in Ukraine.

As of February 25, 2024, according to Health Minister Viktor Liashko, more than 260,000 Ukrainians have used rehabilitation services. The minister also noted that before the full-scale invasion, 2,000 rehabilitation cycles were conducted per day in the healthcare system; now, this number has increased to almost 9,000. This means that the number of injured individuals has increased nearly fivefold.

After the training, we conducted brief interviews with the doctors to better understand the effectiveness of EMG. Here are the results we obtained:

– 100% of the doctors who underwent training did not have EMG skills before.

– 25-80% of patients in medical institutions require EMG, of which approximately 25% are war victims.

– 70% of medical institutions in Ukraine lack the necessary equipment for EMG, either not having it at all, lacking it, or having outdated equipment.

– 100% of respondents believe that doctors need to possess skills in this method.

– 70% report that there is a shortage of EMG specialists in Ukraine.

Additionally, here are some feedbacks from doctors after completing the courses:

The training was effective and interesting. It was very useful to receive theoretical materials before the practical sessions. The practical sessions covered a wide range of examinations. Thank you!

Angelika Sobol, doctor-intern in Rehabilitation Medicine at City Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Dnipro.

The course was excellent and quite informative. The training itself lasted 3 days, which I believe is insufficient for good skills mastery, but given that this is a basic course, it’s sufficient for mastering the basics and further independent practical work.

Kateryna Yurchenko, doctor-intern in Rehabilitation Medicine at the Vinnytsia Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.

I am very grateful for the motivation, overcoming the fear of this research, the information was presented very clearly, the practical skills were worked out qualitatively and under control, the team of expert doctors is incredible!

Halyna Vaskovets, Rehabilitation Medicine Doctor at the Cherkasy Regional Children's Hospital.

Wonderful project. Thank you for the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills! The training took place in a format of clear working out of practical skills for conducting the examination, which allows us to implement EMG in our workplace.

Tetyana Liva, Rehabilitation Medicine Doctor at the Cherkasy Regional Children's Hospital.

The project greatly helped to master the necessary skills for work.

Anna Korotkova, Rehabilitation Medicine Doctor at the Clinical Center of Children's Medicine in Lviv.

Everything was well organized. The program was well-structured, the lecturer was qualified, and the practice was well-organized in small groups with individual instructors. Excellent seminar.

Serhiy Buchynskyi, Rehabilitation Medicine Doctor at the Shevchenkivskyi District Advisory and Diagnostic Center in Kyiv.

We sincerely thank our partners, Vodafone Ukraine, for the opportunity to implement this project. Vodafone Ukraine has been our partner since June, 2024.