Transfer from point-of-care Ultrasonography training to diagnostic performance on patients--a randomized controlled trial

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transfer from point-of-care Ultrasonography training to diagnostic performance on patients--a randomized controlled trial

AU - Todsen, Tobias

AU - Jensen, Morten Lind

AU - Tolsgaard, Martin Grønnebæk

AU - Olsen, Beth Härstedt

AU - Henriksen, Birthe Merete

AU - Hillingsø, Jens Georg

AU - Konge, Lars

AU - Ringsted, Charlotte

N1 - Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Clinicians are increasingly using point-of-care ultrasonography for bedside examinations of patients. However, proper training is needed in this technique, and it is unknown whether the skills learned from focused Ultrasonography courses are being transferred to diagnostic performance on patients.METHODS: Thirty-one physicians were randomized to participate in a focused Ultrasonography course or control circumstances before they examined 4 patients with different abdominal conditions by ultrasonography. Performance scores and diagnostic accuracy were compared using independent samples t test and binary logistic regression, respectively.RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the performance score between the intervention group (27.4%) and the control group (18.0%, P = .004) and the diagnostic accuracy between the intervention group (65%) and the control group (39%, P = .014).CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians could successfully transfer learning from an Ultrasonography course to improve diagnostic performance on patients. However, our results also indicate a need for more training when new technologies such as point-of-care ultrasonography are introduced.

AB - BACKGROUND: Clinicians are increasingly using point-of-care ultrasonography for bedside examinations of patients. However, proper training is needed in this technique, and it is unknown whether the skills learned from focused Ultrasonography courses are being transferred to diagnostic performance on patients.METHODS: Thirty-one physicians were randomized to participate in a focused Ultrasonography course or control circumstances before they examined 4 patients with different abdominal conditions by ultrasonography. Performance scores and diagnostic accuracy were compared using independent samples t test and binary logistic regression, respectively.RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the performance score between the intervention group (27.4%) and the control group (18.0%, P = .004) and the diagnostic accuracy between the intervention group (65%) and the control group (39%, P = .014).CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians could successfully transfer learning from an Ultrasonography course to improve diagnostic performance on patients. However, our results also indicate a need for more training when new technologies such as point-of-care ultrasonography are introduced.

KW - Abdomen

KW - Clinical Competence

KW - Denmark

KW - Education, Medical, Continuing

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Logistic Models

KW - Male

KW - Point-of-Care Systems

KW - Ultrasonography

U2 - 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.05.025

DO - 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2015.05.025

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26323998

SN - 0002-9610

VL - 211

SP - 40

EP - 45

JO - The American Journal of Surgery

JF - The American Journal of Surgery

IS - 1

ER -