TY - JOUR
T1 - Comprehensive Ultrasound Course for Special Operations Combat and Tactical Medics
AU - Fatima, Huma
AU - Kuppalli, Sumanth
AU - Baribeau, Vincent
AU - Wong, Vanessa T.
AU - Chaudhary, Omar
AU - Sharkey, Aidan
AU - Bordlee, John W.
AU - Leibowitz, Akiva
AU - Murugappan, Kadhiresan
AU - Pannu, Ameeka
AU - Rubenstein, Lindsay A.
AU - Walsh, Daniel P.
AU - Kunze, Lisa J.
AU - Stiles, Justin K.
AU - Weinstein, Jeffrey
AU - Mahmood, Feroze
AU - Matyal, Robina
AU - Lodico, Derek N.
AU - Mitchell, John
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
2021.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Advances in ultrasound technology with enhanced portability and high-quality imaging has led to a surge in its use on the battlefield by nonphysician providers. However, there is a consistent need for comprehensive and standardized ultrasound training to improve ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding of nonphysician providers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our team designed a multimodal ultrasound course to improve ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding of nine Special Operations combat medics and Special Operations tactical medics. The course was based on a flipped classroom model with a total time of 43 hours, consisting of an online component followed by live lectures and hands-on workshops. The effectiveness of the course was determined using a knowledge exam, expert ratings of manual skills using a global rating scale, and an objective structured clinical skills examination (OSCE). RESULTS: The average knowledge exam score of the medics increased from pre-course (56% ± 6.8%) to post-course (80% ± 5.0%, p < .001). Based on expert ratings, their manual skills improved from baseline to day 4 of the course for image finding (p = .007), image optimization (p = .008), image acquisition speed (p = .008), final image quality (p = .008), and global assessment (p = .008). Their average score at every OSCE station was > 91%. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive multimodal training program can be used to improve military medics' ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding for various applications of ultrasound. Further research is required to develop a reliable, sustainable course.
AB - BACKGROUND: Advances in ultrasound technology with enhanced portability and high-quality imaging has led to a surge in its use on the battlefield by nonphysician providers. However, there is a consistent need for comprehensive and standardized ultrasound training to improve ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding of nonphysician providers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our team designed a multimodal ultrasound course to improve ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding of nine Special Operations combat medics and Special Operations tactical medics. The course was based on a flipped classroom model with a total time of 43 hours, consisting of an online component followed by live lectures and hands-on workshops. The effectiveness of the course was determined using a knowledge exam, expert ratings of manual skills using a global rating scale, and an objective structured clinical skills examination (OSCE). RESULTS: The average knowledge exam score of the medics increased from pre-course (56% ± 6.8%) to post-course (80% ± 5.0%, p < .001). Based on expert ratings, their manual skills improved from baseline to day 4 of the course for image finding (p = .007), image optimization (p = .008), image acquisition speed (p = .008), final image quality (p = .008), and global assessment (p = .008). Their average score at every OSCE station was > 91%. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive multimodal training program can be used to improve military medics' ultrasound knowledge, manual skills, and workflow understanding for various applications of ultrasound. Further research is required to develop a reliable, sustainable course.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115227439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 34969127
AN - SCOPUS:85115227439
VL - 21
SP - 54
EP - 61
JO - Journal of special operations medicine : a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals
JF - Journal of special operations medicine : a peer reviewed journal for SOF medical professionals
SN - 1553-9768
IS - 4
ER -