Learning Outcomes With Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Point-of care-ultrasonography has the potential to transform healthcare delivery through its diagnostic and therapeutic utility. Its use has become more widespread across a variety of clinical settings as more investigations have demonstrated its impact on patient care. This includes the use of point-of-care ultrasound by trainees, who are now utilizing this technology as part of their diagnostic assessments of patients. However, there are few studies that examine how efficiently trainees can learn point-of-care ultrasound and which training methods are more effective. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether handheld ultrasound devices, along with a year-long lecture series, improve internal medicine interns' knowledge and image interpretation skills with point-of-care ultrasound. Participants shall be randomized to receive personal access to handheld ultrasound devices to be used for learning vs. no personal access. The primary outcome will assess their interpretive ability with ultrasound images/videos. Secondary outcomes will include rates of device usage and lecture attendance.

Official Title
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Does Improved Access to a Portable Ultrasound Device Improve Trainee Learning With Point-of-care Ultrasonography: A Randomized Trial

Conditions
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Ultrasound

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Handheld Ultrasound Devices


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Internal Medicine Intern Physicians at Stanford University Exclusion Criteria: None
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Intern physicians were randomized 1:1 to receive personal access to a handheld ultrasound device vs. no device. The groups did not cross over in which intervention they received.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Handheld Ultrasound Devices<br> | Other: Handheld Ultrasound Devices<br>* Interns in the handheld ultrasound device arm shall carry a personal handheld ultrasound device to be used for self-directed learning<br>|
| No Intervention: No Handheld Ultrasound Devices<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean Percent Correct On Image Assessments at 1 year | Image assessments will include videos and photographs of ultrasound images that will require the intern to interpret the image. | 1 year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mean Reported Device Usage Rates at 1 year | Self-reported usage rates of the ultrasound devices per week by the interns | 1 year | 
| Mean Lecture Attendance at 1 year | Mean Lecture Attendance per Study Arm | 1 year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Medical Education