Tele-education in Ultrasound Training

Samsung Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Ultrasonography; Education, Medical, Continuing; Telemedicine

Treatments: Device: Head-Mounted Display (HMD) to communicate with a supervisor remotely

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06171828

2023-10-015-003

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study aims to assess the impact of remote guidance in ultrasound training for medical professionals new to abdominal ultrasound. It involves 40 participants, divided into two groups of 20 each - a self-study group and a remote learning group. Participants include licensed doctors with no prior training in abdominal ultrasound, who are over 18 years old and have consented to participate.

Full description

The study's design includes pre-surveys, random assignment, ultrasound training through educational videos, and distinct practice methods for each group - one with remote guidance and the other with traditional, in-person assistance. The effectiveness of training will be evaluated based on scores from evaluation forms, time taken for ultrasound imaging, frequency of requesting help, and surveys (NASA-Task Load Index, System Usability Scale, and a Self-confidence pre/post survey). Statistical analysis will be conducted using R software, employing tests such as the student t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test.

This research is anticipated to provide valuable insights into the efficacy of remote guidance in ultrasound education, potentially influencing future medical training methodologies.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Licensed doctor
• Participants who didn't receive prior training in abdominal ultrasound
• > 18 years old

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals who do not agree to participate in the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

40 participants in 2 patient groups

Control Group (Traditional Training)

No Intervention group

Description:

This arm of the study involves participants who will engage in a traditional learning process. After an initial pre-survey, they will start the ultrasound training phase. During this phase, participants will utilize pre-made educational videos for learning. Then participants will perform an ultrasound on an abdominal ultrasound phantom using a handout based on the pre-made video. When assistance is needed, participants will physically move to a different location to seek help from a supervisor. This face-to-face interaction allows for direct guidance and feedback. After completing the training sessions, participants will take a post-survey, which includes NASA-TLX, System Usability Scale (SUS), and a self-confidence assessment, to evaluate the training experience and measure the perceived workload, system usability, and confidence level changes due to the training.

Experimental Group (Remote Training)

Experimental group

Description:

In this arm, participants will undergo a remote learning process. Similar to the control group, they begin with a pre-survey followed by the training phase using the same educational videos. Participants view a handout on a head-mounted display(HMD) and perform an ultrasound on an abdominal ultrasound phantom. The key difference is that when they require assistance, they will use a HMD to communicate with a supervisor remotely. This allows the supervisor to provide guidance without being physically present, utilizing the HMD and potentially other remote communication tools for real-time interaction. The training phase is intended to mimic the in-person guidance as closely as possible through technological means. Following the training, the participants will also complete the same post-survey as the control group to assess the impact of remote training on their learning experience.

Treatment:

Device: Head-Mounted Display (HMD) to communicate with a supervisor remotely