Traditional Bedside Versus Digital Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education

Abstract

Background: While standard point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) instruction heavily relies on resource intense bedside teaching, it is unknown whether a more flexible digital curriculum may be a viable alternative. Objective: We aim to assess differences in trainee confidence performing less frequently encountered POCUS applications after reviewing an onsite traditional bedside instruction, remote lecture slides with written narrative or video narration. Methods: This was an anonymous, close ended, 15 question survey study completed by emergency medicine residents and faculty at a single tertiary care teaching hospital. The survey was adapted from a validated ultrasound education study. Educational material focused on uncommon POCUS exams (scrotal, bowel, ocular). Participants were randomized to one of three training methods: onsite traditional bedside teaching, remote lecture slides with written narrative or video narration. All slides and scripts were identical. Participants rated their confidence performing and interpreting each exam type on a five‐point Likert scale before and six months after the education intervention. Results: 14 participants (five post‐graduate year (PGY)1s, three PGY2s, three PGY3s and three faculty members) responded to the survey. All three education groups expressed improved confidence when acquiring and interpreting scrotal, ocular and bowel POCUS images (Figure 1). Over 75% of participants per module were likely or very likely to recommend the curriculum, with 100% being satisfied or very satisfied with their assigned module. Conclusions: Participants had increased confidence acquiring and interpreting uncommon POCUS images after participating in bedside and distance‐based education modules. Future objective assessments of traditional bedside vs remote digital POCUS curricula will need to be completed to identify if similar learning outcomes can be achieved through less resource intensive virtual methods. (Figure Presented).