The path to ultrasound proficiency: A systematic review of ultrasound education and training programmes for junior medical practitioners

Dickson, Robert C.; Duncanson, Kerith; Shepherd, Shamus

doi:10.1002/ajum.12039

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Other differences included setting, with Rajamani et al [ 36 ] (2020) and Andersen et al [ 76 ] (2019) focusing on general practice and critical care, respectively. Dickson et al [ 77 ] (2017) included studies of trainees with no prior formal ultrasound training only. Consistent with this review’s findings, variation in teaching curriculum and assessment methods, and an overall low standard of study quality were unanimously reported.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of antenatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) training: a systematic review

Bidner

Bezak

Parange

2022

Medical Education Online

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Introduction There is limited access to life-saving antenatal ultrasound in rural and low-resource settings largely due to shortages in skilled staff. Studies have shown healthcare practitioners can be upskilled in PoCUS through focused training, offering a viable solution to this deficit. However, standards for training and competency assessment are unclear and regulation surrounding practice is lacking. We aimed to review published literature examining antenatal PoCUS training programs, comparing teaching approaches and study methodologies. Methods A search of electronic databases EMBASE, MEDLINE and Google Scholar was conducted. Original research articles evaluating antenatal PoCUS training of healthcare professionals worldwide were identified for analysis. Articles with limited detail on the PoCUS training intervention and those describing comprehensive diagnostic training programs were excluded. Evaluations were compared against the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Framework (KEF). Results Twenty-seven studies were included from an initial search result of 484 articles. There was considerable heterogeneity between the PoCUS training programs described. Course duration ranged from 3 hours to 2 years, with 11 of the 27 studies delivering obstetric-exclusive content. 44% trained multidisciplinary groups of health professionals. Long-term follow-up training and skills assessments were lacking in over half of the reviewed studies. Study quality and reporting detail varied, but overall beneficial outcomes were reported with 3/4s of the studies reaching upper KEF levels 3 and 4. Conclusion PoCUS performed by upskilled healthcare professionals offers an attractive solution to the problem of inequitable access to antenatal ultrasound. A review of available literature highlighted a paucity of comparable high-quality studies needed to establish a stronger evidence base for antenatal PoCUS, and a need to standardise training and competency assessment. This review may inform educators, researchers and policy-makers on existing training formats and methodologies to assist in establishing best practice antenatal PoCUS training methods for safe service delivery by remote healthcare professionals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of antenatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) training: a systematic review

Bidner

Bezak

Parange

2022

Medical Education Online

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“…The use of directional flow Doppler ultrasonography has also been described to map the abdominal wall vessels in man . Doppler provides a fast, noninvasive, and inexpensive assessment but may require advanced training to gain proficiency . In dogs, identification of the superficial caudal epigastric artery and vein via Doppler has been reported at 85% and 90%, respectively .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ex vivo radiocontrast description of the caudal epigastric arteries in horses

et al. 2018

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Objective: To determine the location of the deep and superficial caudal epigastric arteries in relation to 3 midline positions and the relationship between the location of these arteries, body circumference, and body condition score. Study design: Descriptive anatomical study. Sample population: Nine horses, aged 1-28 years (mean 10.61 ± 8.89 SD). Methods: Body condition score and body circumference were measured prior to euthanasia. Angiographic studies of the deep and superficial caudal epigastric arteries were performed on resected abdominal walls. The distances between the deep and the superficial caudal epigastric arteries and 3 midline positions were measured. Correlations among these distances, body circumference, and body condition score were analyzed. Results: The location of the deep caudal epigastric artery correlated with body circumference and body condition score at the umbilicus (r = 0.53 and 0.68, respectively), midpoint landmark (r = 0.79 and 0.83, respectively), and prepubic tendon attachment (r = 0.69 and 0.78, respectively). The course of this artery could be estimated by multiplying body circumference by 0.04 ± 0.02 at the umbilicus, 0.07 ± 0.01 at the midpoint landmark, and 0.03 ± 0.015 at the prepubic tendon attachment. The course of the superficial caudal epigastric artery did not correlate with anatomic landmarks. Conclusion: The course of the deep caudal epigastric artery could be estimated at 3 midline landmarks on the basis of body circumference and body condition score in equine cadavers. Clinical significance: Predicting the course of the caudal epigastric arteries in the equine abdomen based on correlation among location, body circumference, and body condition score may prevent iatrogenic damage during creation of laparoscopic portals.

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“…14,15 We also queried each study for the geographical region where it was performed, the background medical training of the investigator performing the sonography, and the description of the ultrasound-related skills and training as they related to the study or protocol. 16,17 When the study reported "investigator performing scans" without naming one of the authors, the first author's affiliations were used unless another author was a sonographer. If one of the authors had professional sonographer credentials, then those were listed in preference to the first author, assuming they performed the scans.…”

Section: Data Extractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since the accuracy of an ultrasound depends on the skills and knowledge of the sonographer, we queried the publications for the skills and training of the sonographers who performed the scans in their study (Table 6). 16,17 Eighteen studies used a single sonographer, eight studies used two sonographers, and 18 studies did not report the number of sonographers used. Seven studies (15.9%) reported the qualifications of investigators performing ultrasound acquisition and analysis.…”

Section: Ultrasound Competencies and Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

Transcranial ultrasonography to detect intracranial pathology: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Allen

Kapoor

Anzalone

et al. 2023

Journal of Neuroimaging

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Background and Purpose Transcranial ultrasonography (TCU) can be a useful diagnostic tool in evaluating intracranial pathology in patients with limited or delayed access to routine neuroimaging in critical care or austere settings. We reviewed available literature investigating the diagnostic utility of TCU for detecting pediatric and adult patient's intracranial pathology in patients with intact skulls and reported diagnostic accuracy measures. Methods We performed a systematic review of PubMed®, Cochrane Library, Embase®, Scopus®, Web of Science™, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases to identify articles evaluating ultrasound‐based detection of intracranial pathology in comparison to routine imaging using broad Medical Subject Heading sets. Two independent reviewers reviewed the retrieved articles for bias using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tools and extracted measures of diagnostic accuracy and ultrasound parameters. Data were pooled using meta‐analysis implementing a random‐effects approach to examine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound‐based diagnosis. Results A total of 44 studies out of the 3432 articles screened met the eligibility criteria, totaling 2426 patients (Mean age: 60.1 ± 14.52 years). We found tumors, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and neurodegenerative diseases in the eligible studies. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of TCU and their 95% confidence intervals were 0.80 (0.72, 0.89), 0.71 (0.59, 0.82), and 0.76 (0.71, 0.82) for neurodegenerative diseases; 0.88 (0.74, 1.02), 0.81 (0.50, 1.12), and 0.94 (0.92, 0.96) for ICH; and 0.97 (0.92, 1.03), 0.99 (0.96, 1.01), and 0.99 (0.97, 1.01) for intracranial masses. No studies reported ultrasound presets. Conclusions TCU has a reasonable sensitivity and specificity for detecting intracranial pathology involving ICH and tumors with clinical applications in remote locations or where standard imaging is unavailable. Future studies should investigate ultrasound parameters to enhance diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing intracranial pathology.

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The path to ultrasound proficiency: A systematic review of ultrasound education and training programmes for junior medical practitioners

Cited by 10 publications

References 23 publications

Evaluation of antenatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) training: a systematic review

Evaluation of antenatal Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) training: a systematic review

Ex vivo radiocontrast description of the caudal epigastric arteries in horses

Transcranial ultrasonography to detect intracranial pathology: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

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