Design and evaluation of the I-SCAN faculty POCUS program

Abstract

Background Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is becoming widely adopted with increasing accessibility of courses. Little is known about the optimal design of the introductory course or longitudinal training programs targeting hospitalists that are critical to success. Methods Hospitalists at four academic sites participated in a two-day introductory course and a longitudinal phase comprising clinical POCUS practice, clip uploading with online feedback, hands-on teaching, and monthly ultrasound conferences. Assessments were performed immediately before and after the two-day course and after 1 year. Results Knowledge increased from baseline to post two-day course (median score 58 and 85%, respectively, p < 0.001) and decreased slightly at 1 year (median score 81%, p = 0.012). After the two-day introductory course, the median score for hands-on image acquisition skills, the principal metric of participant success, was 75%. After 1 year, scores were similar (median score 74%). Confidence increased from baseline to post two-day course (1.5 to 3.1 on a 4 point Likert scale from Not at all confident (1) to Very confident (4), p < 0.001), and remained unchanged after 1 year (2.73). Course elements correlating with a passing score on the final hands-on test included number of clip uploads (r = 0.85, p,0.001), attendance at hands-on sessions (r = 0.7, p = 0.001), and attendance at monthly conferences (r = 0.50, p = 0.03). Conclusions The I-ScaN POCUS training program increased hospitalist knowledge, skill and confidence with maintained skill and confidence after 1 year. Uploading clips and attending hands-on teaching sessions were most correlative with participant success.

Development and Remodeling of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education for Emergency Medicine Residents in Resource Limited Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Our results indicated that most learners identified the teaching activities that can best improve POCUS knowledge were the bedside ultrasound teaching and the process of reviewing ultrasound images with a supervisor in both academic years, which is consistent with many studies [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. These sections allowed learners to improve the competency of image acquisition and image interpretation with real time feedback from the supervisor.…”

Design and comparison of a hybrid to a traditional in-person point-of-care ultrasound course

“…Studies of POCUS education for faculty and resident learners have demonstrated a similar need for a robust longitudinal curriculum following an introductory course [ 9 , 16 , 17 ]. The modular structure supported knowledge and skill retention through spaced learning, repetition of principles, and establishing positive scanning habits over time, features which were praised during focus group discussions.…”

“…The traditional I-ScaN program has already been described in detail [ 9 ]. Participants studied included 19 hospitalists from the 4 NYU sites who completed the final assessments in 2019.…”

“…Knowledge of POCUS principles, image acquisition, and clinical integration was assessed using a 26-item online test. Participant confidence in image acquisition and clinical integration was assessed using a retrospective pre–post-survey [ 9 ]. All assessments were administered at course completion using the same tools and methodology as with the traditional cohort.…”

“…These barriers are particularly limiting in low- and middle-income countries (LIMC), where there may exist a paucity of on-site POCUS experts, equipment, and high-speed internet access [ 8 ]. We recently reported the design and evaluation of the Integrated Sonographic Course at NYU (New York University) (I-ScaN) faculty POCUS training program showing that a 2-day introductory course followed by a year-long longitudinal curriculum led to sustained gains in hands-on skill and confidence with only a slight decay in knowledge [ 9 ]…”