FoCUS cardiac ultrasound training for undergraduates based on current national guidelines: a prospective, controlled, single-center study on transferability

Abstract

Introduction In emergency and critical-care medicine, focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS) is indispensable for assessing a patient’s cardiac status. The aim of this study was to establish and validate a peer-to-peer–supported ultrasound course for learning FoCUS-specific skills during undergraduate studies at a German university. Methods A 1-day, 12 teaching units training course was developed for students in the clinical section of medical college, with content based on the current national guidelines. A total of 217 students participated in the study (97 in the course group and 120 in the control group). The course and the participants’ subjective assessment of improved skills were evaluated using a questionnaire (7-point Likert scale; 7 = complete agreement and 1 = no agreement at all). Objective learning gains were assessed by tests before and after the course. These consisted of a test of figural intelligence (eight items) and a test of technical knowledge (13 items). Results The course participants experienced significant improvement (P < 0.001) from before to after the course, with a large effect size of η2part = 0.26. In addition, the course group had significantly better results (P < 0.001) than the control group in the post-test, with a medium to large effect size of η2part = 0.14. No significant differences (P = 0.27) were detected in the test section on figural intelligence. The evaluations showed that the participants had a high degree of satisfaction with the course approach, teaching materials, and tutors. There was also a positive increase in their subjective assessment of their own skills, including areas such as technical knowledge, ultrasound anatomy, and performance of the examination. Conclusion The results of both the objective learning assessment and the subjective evaluations suggest that a FoCUS course originally intended for qualified physicians is equally suitable for students. With the development and provision of modern digital teaching media, even more students will be able to benefit from this approach in the future.

Development and evaluation of a point-of-care ocular ultrasound curriculum for medical students - a proof-of-concept study

“…An objective gain in knowledge was recorded in the categories: anatomical basics, normal findings and pathological findings. No significant improvement was found for the skill areas “ultrasound basics” and “understanding of cross-sectional images” in our work, which can be explained by the participants’ previous experience in relation to ultrasound courses already taken in other specialties (Table 2 ) [ 6 , 41 ]. Overall, the results suggest that the course was successful in teaching the students the specific target skills.…”

“…Participation in (peer-assisted) ultrasound training programs permits measurable subjective and objective development of competency [ 2 , 6 , 13 , 15 ]. A significant subjective and objective increase in competency as a result of participation in our POCOUS curriculum was also demonstrated in this study.…”

“…Ultrasonography is increasingly being incorporated into various parts of medical education both nationally and internationally [ 1 – 3 , 7 , 10 ]. This applies in particular to courses in abdominal ultrasonography, FAST (focused assessment with sonography in trauma) and echocardiography [ 1 – 3 , 6 , 10 , 12 – 14 ]. Little if any use is made of ultrasonography of the eyes and orbita, however [ 3 , 8 – 10 , 44 ].…”

“…Ultrasound diagnostics meets the criteria for skills-based interdisciplinary teaching almost perfectly and education programs for this diagnostic modality are welcomed by students and perceived as enriching their training [ 1 – 7 ]. The recently published programs focus on teaching ultrasound skills in the field of abdominal ultrasonography, echocardiography and emergency ultrasonography, which includes point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 8 – 15 ]. Increasing use is being made of “blended learning” as a teaching method [ 16 – 19 ].…”

Development and evaluation of a “simulator-based” ultrasound training program for university teaching in obstetrics and gynecology–the prospective GynSim study

“…This approach involves students learning from and practicing with fellow students who have been trained as peer tutors ( 11 , 12 ). While effective in certain areas like echocardiography or abdominal sonography, the intimate nature of Ob/Gyn examinations poses unique challenges for implementing peer-assisted learning with live models ( 13 – 15 ).…”