Utility of Simulation in Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiogram-Based Training of a Cardiovascular Workforce in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)

Abstract

The second leading cause of mortality in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), causing 17 million deaths in 2013. CVD disproportionately affects low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), which account for 80% of these deaths. The use of ultrasound technology has been a mainstay in the medical field for formal diagnostic purposes for years and has recently received increased interest for point-of-care diagnostics and procedural guidance. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is rou-