Comparing the Effectiveness and Image Quality of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of First-Year Medical Students After Training by Student Tutors Versus Ultrasound Instructors: A Pilot Study

Li, Jeffrey J; Kim, Jane J.; Young, Corey; Nausheen, Fauzia

doi:10.7759/cureus.26890

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Based on the high percentages of accuracy and confidence, we found that STs were effective resources to teach MSK and vascular POCUS. Additionally, the high percentage of students (82.5%) who felt confident after our MSK workshop corroborates with our previous study of confident students (70.8%) after a similar MSK workshop among only first-year medical students [10].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Effectiveness of Student-Led Musculoskeletal and Vascular Ultrasound Workshops at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

Kim¹,

Li²,

Nguyen³

2023

Cureus

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Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapidly evolving field of diagnostic medicine as its low cost, portability, and versatility have made handheld ultrasound (US) probes an invaluable tool for many modern physicians. Despite US’s benefits as a bedside evaluative tool, many medical schools have not integrated POCUS into their pre-clerkship medical education due to a lack of equipment and faculty. The first objective of our study was to determine whether student tutors (STs) would be effective resources to teach musculoskeletal (MSK) and vascular US to preclinical medical students. The second objective of our study was to determine whether students who previously attended ST-run MSK US workshops perform better in vascular US than those who did not. Methods Six POCUS workshops were led by STs after approval from experienced US faculty. These included US workshops on gastrointestinal structures, forearm structures, joint structures, basic echocardiography, and US-guided IV access. We collected data from two of our six workshops. We developed surveys to gauge the confidence and ability of students to perform US after an MSK workshop and US-guided IV access workshop led by STs. We also measured students' US abilities and collected student feedback after our US-guided IV access workshop. We evaluated students’ US competency in US-guided IV access via their ability to correctly position the US probe, angle the needle of insertion, move the probe with the needle, and access the vein based on the accuracy of the movements. We divided student results into two groups: students who previously attended the MSK workshop before attending the US-guided IV access workshop and students who did not attend the MSK workshop before attending the US-guided IV access workshop. We used averages, frequencies, and two-tailed t-tests to analyze the survey responses and US-guided IV access skill assessments. Results Fifty percent of first- and second-year surveyed students “agreed,” and 32.4% “strongly agreed” that they felt confident using US after an ST-run MSK workshop. About 29.4% of surveyed students “agreed” and 41.2% “strongly agreed” that they felt comfortable explaining basic US concepts, such as proper probe positioning and echogenicity. The group of students who attended the MSK workshop prior to the peripheral IV workshop scored similarly to the students who did not attend the MSK workshop (14.33±1.03 versus 14.20±0.84 points). Both groups of students had an average of over 94% accuracy in technique, positioning, angling, moving the US probe, and achieving US-guided venous access after being taught by STs. Qualitative surveying noted positive student feedback, such as "Teacher was great at guiding us through the procedure." Survey responses also included suggestions on adding and diversifying equipment, such as “[It would be useful to have a] different type of needle to see the difference on ultrasound.” Conclusion ...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Effectiveness of Student-Led Musculoskeletal and Vascular Ultrasound Workshops at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

Kim¹,

Li²,

Nguyen³

2023

Cureus

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“…This research paper seeks to explore and answer this question, shedding light on the effectiveness and feasibility of this peer-driven educational approach. A number of existing studies have sought to measure the effectiveness of student tutoring in medical school with promising results [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] showing an overwhelmingly positive reception of students to the effectiveness of learning from their peers. However, no current research exists comparing the effectiveness of peer-taught student tutors (PTSTs) as educators of ultrasound techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing Peer-Taught Student Tutors to Faculty-Taught Student Tutors in Educating Medical Students on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Aquino,

Santamaria,

Quadri

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Introduction: In recent years, medical education has witnessed a shift in the integration of ultrasound into the preclinical years of medical school. Given the exponential increase in accessibility to ultrasound technology, students now have the opportunity to create peer learning groups in which ultrasound concepts can be taught from peer to peer, empowering students to work together to integrate ultrasound concepts early in their preclinical education. This project investigates the efficacy of peer-taught student tutors (PTSTs) in imparting the fundamentals of basic ultrasound techniques to first-year medical students in the setting of identifying and labeling upper extremity musculoskeletal (MSK) anatomy. Methods: First-year medical students were instructed to identify volar forearm structures with an ultrasound probe. Students and instructors were given access to an ultrasound probe, ultrasound gel, an iPad, and a standardized patient. Students were taught either by an ultrasound instructor (UI) or PTST. After a hands-on demonstration by a UI or PTST, participating students were told to take screenshots and label their images as accurately as possible, identifying the aforementioned volar structures on a standardized patient without any feedback. The labeled screenshot images of volar structures were graded based on the ability to clearly visualize the intended structures. Results: The results of this study compare the efficacy of PTSTs as educators of basic sonographic identification techniques with that of UI faculty members. A chi-square analysis was performed between the images obtained by the UI and PTST students, and there was no statistically significant difference in identification accuracy between the groups (p = 0.7538, 0.1977, 0.1812, 0.301). When using the Mann-Whitney U rank test, there remained no statistically significant difference between the accuracy of the students taught by STs compared to students taught by UIs (p = 0.7744, 0.09538, 0.07547, 0.1846). Another finding showed that students belonging to both teaching groups were generally not able to infer the pathology of volar wrist structures when given pathology identification questions regarding upper extremity ultrasound. Using chi-square with Yates correction, there is no sufficient evidence to justify an association between the ability to answer pathology-based ultrasound questions and instructor type (p = p = 0.6299, 0.8725). Conclusions: This study supports the interpretation that the capability of first-year medical students to learn novice MSK sonographic identification is independent of whether the educator is a PTST or UI. This interpretation reveals a promising avenue toward the integration of the fundamentals of ultrasound identification early in medical education with little to no concern for the exhaustion of institutional resources. Along with the other well-documented benefits of the utilization of STs in medical school, a peer tutoring system centered on ultrasound skills designed in...

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Peer teachers as ultrasound instructors? – a systematic literature review of peer teaching concepts in undergraduate ultrasound education

Winter,

Neubauer,

Weimer

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

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Background As ultrasound is one of the most utilized imaging procedures in clinical practice in Germany, its integration into undergraduate medical education is imperative. Thereby, the limited availability of qualified instructors is a major challenge. Peer tutors, who are trained to instruct their peers collaboratively, could resolve staff constraints. This systematic review explores the literature on peer teaching in undergraduate ultrasound education, aiming to provide an overview of methodologies, outcomes, and peer teacher training concepts. Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was conducted on the subject of peer teaching in undergraduate ultrasound education. Using PubMed and Google Scholar as databases, studies in English or German involving training concepts for peer teachers in undergraduate ultrasound education, published up to November 21, 2023, were included. Data extraction of original studies followed the PICOS schema with special respect to didactic concepts of peer tutor training programs and the effectiveness of peer teachers compared to faculty instructors. A modified version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of included studies. Results Finally, the search resulted in 20 relevant original studies, including 16 studies exploring peer teacher training concepts. Predominantly, peer teachers studied in their 4th year of medical school and on average one year further compared to their students. Peer teacher training was integrated into curricula by course-based concepts (93.8%) and internships (50.0%). Didactic modalities varied, encompassing laboratory rotations including the scanning of patients, the scanning of fellow students, lectures, and didactic training. The median training duration was about ten days. Of six comparative studies, five found peer-assisted learning to be comparably effective and one even better than faculty-led courses. Conclusion Despite the growing amount of literature underlining the effectiveness and wide application of peer teaching in ultrasound education, training concepts stay heterogenous without a standardized system for training and qualifying peer teachers. Developing comprehensive guidelines for peer tutor education could increase acceptance and recognition of peer-assisted learning and ensure minimum training standards.

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Comparing the Effectiveness and Image Quality of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound of First-Year Medical Students After Training by Student Tutors Versus Ultrasound Instructors: A Pilot Study

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

The Effectiveness of Student-Led Musculoskeletal and Vascular Ultrasound Workshops at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

The Effectiveness of Student-Led Musculoskeletal and Vascular Ultrasound Workshops at a Single Institution: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

Comparing Peer-Taught Student Tutors to Faculty-Taught Student Tutors in Educating Medical Students on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Peer teachers as ultrasound instructors? – a systematic literature review of peer teaching concepts in undergraduate ultrasound education

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