Telementoring for Identifying the Appendix Using Telesonography (TIAT)

Hanyang University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Appendix, Ultrasonography

Treatments: Device: Smartphone-based Telesonography

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02665767

Hanyang University

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators investigated the feasibility of the clinical application of novice-practitioner-performed/offsite-mentor-guided ultrasonography for identifying the appendix.

Full description

A randomized cross-over study was conducted using a telesonography system that can transmit the ultrasound images displayed on the ultrasound monitor(ultrasound sequence video) and images showing the practitioner's operations(background video) to a smartphone without any interruption in motion over a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Thirty novice practitioners were randomly assigned to two groups. The subjects in group A (n=15) performed ultrasonography for the identification of the appendix under mentoring by an onsite expert, whereas those in group B (n=15) performed the same procedure under mentoring by an offsite expert.

Each subject performed the procedure on three simulated patients. After a four-week interval, they performed the procedure again under the other type of mentoring. A total of 90 ultrasound examinations were performed in each scenario. The primary outcomes were the success rate for identifying the appendix and the time required to identify the appendix.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 25 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Without any experience in ultrasonography

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects who do not want to participate
• Subjects who has eye pain or any eye problem
• Subjects who has wrist pain

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

On-site sonography

No Intervention group

Description:

The subjects(n=15) performed ultrasonography for the identification of the appendix under mentoring by an onsite expert.

Smartphone-based Telesonography

Active Comparator group

Description:

The subjects(n=15) performed ultrasonography for the identification of the appendix under mentoring by an offsite expert.

Treatment:

Device: Smartphone-based Telesonography