Clinical trial NCT03262532: Assessment of a Web-Based Simulation in Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) Views
Official title: Assessment of a Web-Based Simulation Module to Improve Performance in Obtaining Standard Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) Views
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Conditions: Education
Training
Keywords: Interactive web-base simulation
Lead sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-08-25
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: We will recruit residents and fellows during their training from the University of Toronto postgraduate programs in anesthesia, cardiology and critical care. They will have some knowledge of transthoracic echocardiography but no prior experience with TEE probe manipulation

Brief summary: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is often used by anesthesiologists during cardiac surgery, as a monitoring tool in non-cardiac surgery, and as a point of care diagnostic tool in the intensive care unit (ICU). Furthermore, TEE is becoming a core skill in many specialties to facilitate focused cardiovascular assessment in hemodynamically compromised patients in various settings. Educators must determine how to best instruct current and future trainees to achieve clinical competence in TEE within a time limited and constantly expanding medical curriculum.

In this study the investigators will evaluate a new online TEE Simulation module as a learning tool to accelerate and enhance traditional clinical teaching. This project will evaluate a new online TEE Simulation module that replicates the actions required to adjust TEE probe position and the ultrasound plane in relation to a 3D heart model.

The investigators hypothesize that experience with the online TEE simulation module will improve the ability of trainees to independently perform TEE probe manipulations necessary to obtain standard TEE views. The proposed study will answer this question by measuring the performance of trainees in obtaining 10 of the 25 standard TEE views using the Vimedix mannequin-based ultrasonography simulator following an hour of review of the online TEE Simulation module.

The educational benefit of the Web-based TEE simulation module, will be evaluated by 20 novices randomly assigned to two groups, a control group of 10 subjects without exposure to the Web-based simulation, and an experimental group of 10 subjects with exposure to the Web-based simulation. Both groups will be assessed on their performance in attaining the 10 standard TEE views with the Vimedix simulator.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Residents or fellows in anesthesia, cardiology and critical care enrolled at the Toronto General Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

* Residents or fellows in anesthesia, cardiology and critical care with prior experience with TEE probe manipulation

Primary outcomes:
measure: TEE simulation model decreases time to select image acquisition in trainee participant vs. participants trained by reading material only
timeFrame: 2 week review 1 session for assessment (Control: time required to acquire 10 views, Intervention: I hour session with online simulator plus time required to acquire 10 views)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: TEE simulation model improves select image quality in trainee participants vs. participants trained by reading material only as assessed by a expert review panel of echo cardiographers
timeFrame: 2 week review 1 session for assessment- time required to acquire 10 views
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: Toronto General Hospital
state: Ontario
Study officials:
References: