A Prospective Evaluation of Point of Care Ultrasound Teaching in Switzerland

Investigating the Skill Development of Medical Students in Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma (FAST) Ultrasound: A Comparative Analysis Across Different Stages of Medical Training

INTRODUCTION

Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) ultrasound (US) is a valuable medical examination used in trauma settings, particularly for rapid responses to events such as natural disasters. Although the efficacy and benefits of FAST in patient care have been extensively studied, there is limited research on training medical students in FAST. Previous studies have found that medical students can proficiently perform a FAST US after two days of training. However, these studies exclusively included first-year medical students without considering variations in their medical knowledge. Particularly, the advantage of medical students having US experience before undergoing FAST training has not been previously examined.

OBJECTIVES

Assess the performance and knowledge acquisition of medical students with and without prior US experience after completing a FAST training course.

METHODS

The study included a total of 71 students, consisting of 33 males and 38 females, who were between the ages of 18 and 31, with an average age of 24.6 and a standard deviation of 2.4. The inclusion criteria targeted first- and second-year medical school students who participated on a volunteer basis. Students were divided into two groups: group A, consisting of those without prior US experience, and group B, made up of those who had previous US experience. All students completed a pre-training survey to share their comfort and confidence in US use and knowledge. A baseline FAST exam was conducted to establish initial performance. A comprehensive three-hour training session was then provided. Post-training, students performed another FAST exam to assess improvement, followed by a post-training survey to evaluate comfort and confidence.

RESULTS

Medical students who had prior experience in the US (group B) performed significantly better (p<0.01) in both the pre- and post-training FAST exams when compared to students without previous US experience. Specifically, in locating the liver, right kidney, hepatorenal recess, and left kidney, as well as detecting fluid accumulation when in a supine position. Additionally, medical students with prior US experience (group B) exhibited higher baseline confidence (p<0.005-p<0.01) in their ability to perform a FAST exam, as indicated by the results of the pre-testing survey.

CONCLUSION

Previous experience with US significantly boosted confidence and knowledge gains following FAST training. This emphasizes the value of including US training in medical school programs after earlier exposure, offering evident benefits. The study reveals the unexplored benefit of having prior US experience for medical students undergoing FAST training, thus addressing a previously unexplored area in current research. The conclusions stress the necessity of integrating US training into medical school curricula after initial exposure. This understanding can direct medical educators in refining the education process, enabling students to be better equipped for real-world medical situations involving FAST.

A comparison of handheld and standard ultrasound in Swiss medical students

BACKGROUND

The use of ultrasound (US) within healthcare has inspired the development of new US technology. There have been few studies comparing the use of handheld US to standard US for medical education. This research aims to determine whether a handheld US device can provide a comparable primary learning experience to that of a standard US machine.

METHODS

Over two days of instruction, participants were taught and evaluated on core US fundamentals. The standard group received instruction on standard US machines, while the handheld group received instruction on handheld US devices. Participants completed a qualitative survey regarding their experience. Six hundred and four images were obtained and graded by two emergency medicine physicians.

RESULTS

A total of 119 Swiss medical students were enrolled in our study. There was no statistically significant difference in the US assessment measurements, except for faster endpoint septal separation (EPSS) vascular setup time in the handheld group (P=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in participants' perceived difficulty of US learning (P=0.198), comfort level (P=0.188), or self-estimated capability to perform US in the future (P=0.442). There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of correctly obtained images (P=0.211) or images that were clinically useful (P=0.256). The median quality score of images obtained by the standard group was eight compared to seven in handheld group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest a handheld US machine can perform as well as a standard US machine as an educational tool despite sacrifices in image quality.

Ultrasound Curricula of Student Education in Europe: Summary of the Experience

Background Despite the increasing role of ultrasound, structured ultrasound teaching is only slowly being integrated into the curricula of medical schools and universities all over Europe. Aim To survey the current situation at European universities regarding the integration of ultrasound in student medical education and to report on models of student ultrasound training from selected European universities. Methods A questionnaire survey focusing on the implementation of curricular ultrasound education was sent out to the 28 presidents of the national ultrasound societies of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), who were asked to distribute the questionnaires to the medical universities of their countries. Results Overall, 53 questionnaires were returned from 46 universities in 17 European countries. In most of the universities (40/46 universities, 87%), the theoretical background of ultrasound is taught. However, in only a minority of universities is ultrasound integrated in anatomy courses (8/46 universities, 17%) or basic science courses (16/46 universities, 35%). Practical skills in ultrasound are taught in 56% of the universities (26/46 universities) and tested in a practical exam in seven of the responding universities (15%). The number of hours in which ultrasound was taught ranged from one to 58 (mean, seven). The respondents reported that lack of time and limited faculty funding were major hurdles. Conclusion According to our survey, only a minority of European universities has integrated ultrasound into the preclinical curriculum thus far. Future EFSUMB initiatives will continue to promote the introduction of ultrasound as an integrative part of the core curriculum of student medical education, and the preparation of proper teaching material.