Improving Detection of Fetuses at Risk - Who Needs Systematic Training?

Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Improving Obstetric Ultrasound Skills

Treatments: Other: simulation-based training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03105544

OBSTSIM

Details and patient eligibility

About

Detection of growth restricted fetuses relies primarily on abdominal ultrasound examinations during pregnancy. Many clinicians, however, have not received systematic training and may therefore perform inadequately. We wish to examine, whether systematic, simulation-based training can improve diagnostic accuracy of estimated fetal weight by ultrasound at different levels of clinical experience.

Full description

Participants are physicians working at obstetric departments. Participant characteristics (age, experience in years and number of monthly scans) are recorded. Participants perform two abdominal growth scans prior to randomization and estimated fetal weight is compared to birth weight. Mean absolute percentage error is calculated as a measure of diagnostic accuracy.

Participants are then randomized to either control (no intervention) or intervention. The latter group receives training on the Metaphor Scantrainer trans abdominal ultrasound simulator until they pass a previously validated test. After completing the training the participants use a mannikin to practice systematic approach and 'knobology'.

All participants then perform another two growth scans. Diagnostic accuracy before and after the intervention or control period is compared.

We wish to examine the effect of systematic training on the diagnostic accuracy of estimated fetal weight by ultrasound across different levels of clinical experience.

If an effect can be found in the inexperienced participants, simulation-based training in obstetric ultrasound could be implemented as a part of basic obstetric training and/or as a means of maintaining skills.

Enrollment: 70 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• proficiency in the Danish language
• no prior experience with obstetric ultrasound simulation
• doctors who work within the field of gynecology and obstetrics

Exclusion criteria

• lack of proficiency in the Danish language
• prior experience with obstetric ultrasound simulation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

70 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Simulation-based training: Virtual-reality simulation training on the Medaphor Scantrainer Transabdominal Simulator until expert level is reached. Then training on a physical mannikin until an average OSAUS-score of 3 or more is attained.

Treatment:

Other: simulation-based training

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

No intervention.