Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Review
Point-of-care ultrasound education: the increasing role of simulation and multimedia resources.
This article reviews the current technology, literature, teaching models, and methods associated with simulation-based point-of-care ultrasound training. Patient simulation appears particularly well suited for learning point-of-care ultrasound, which is a required core competency for emergency medicine and other specialties. Work hour limitations have reduced the opportunities for clinical practice, and simulation enables practicing a skill multiple times before it may be used on patients. ⋯ An additional concept used in simulation-based ultrasound training is blended learning. Blended learning may include face-to-face or online learning often in combination with a learning management system. Increasingly, with simulation and Web-based learning technologies, tools are now available to medical educators for the standardization of both ultrasound skills training and competency assessment.
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We investigated whether transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) assisted with a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) algorithm was superior to TEE in diagnosing left atrial (LA)/left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombi in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in a single prospective study. ⋯ The CAD algorithm significantly improves the diagnostic accuracy of TEE for LA/LAA thrombi in patients with AF.
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Medical educators must develop ultrasound education programs to ensure that future physicians are prepared to face the changing demands of clinical practice. It can be challenging to find human models for hands-on scanning sessions. This article outlines an educational model from a large university medical center that uses medical students to fulfill the need for human models. ⋯ The TSUP program is a feasible and sustainable method of fulfilling the need for normal anatomic ultrasound models while serving as a valuable extracurricular ultrasound education program for medical students. The program facilitates the coordination of ultrasound education programs by educators at the undergraduate and graduate levels.