Stephen Winn1, Peter McKeown2, Shahram Lotfipour3, Gerald A Maguire4, Julie H Youm3, Warren Wiechmann3, J Christian Fox3. 1. 1 University of Southern Queensland , Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia . 2. 2 University of New England School of Rural Medicine , Armidale, New South Wales, Australia . 3. 3 University of California , Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California. 4. 4 University of California , Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, California.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound has become a major diagnostic tool in many parts of the world, with broad clinical applications. Ultrasound provides a noninvasive, painless mode of diagnostics that produces instant results. Disseminating ultrasound skills to remote and rural communities has become a challenge for many medical schools, particularly those where distances are great and the density of population is low. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and the University of New England School of Rural Medicine in Australia piloted the use of dual video feeds in two scenarios: (1) to display the instructor's ultrasound feed and the instructor's transducer placement to provide guidance for remote students; and (2) to display side-by-side views of the instructor's and the remote student's ultrasound feeds to allow the instructor to guide the remote student in his or her transducer placement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Using high-speed broadband connections, the two schools demonstrated the feasibility of remote, synchronous, practical, and hands-on ultrasound training and instruction over international distances. This opens up a broad range of possibilities for future remote ultrasound education.
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound has become a major diagnostic tool in many parts of the world, with broad clinical applications. Ultrasound provides a noninvasive, painless mode of diagnostics that produces instant results. Disseminating ultrasound skills to remote and rural communities has become a challenge for many medical schools, particularly those where distances are great and the density of population is low. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and the University of New England School of Rural Medicine in Australia piloted the use of dual video feeds in two scenarios: (1) to display the instructor's ultrasound feed and the instructor's transducer placement to provide guidance for remote students; and (2) to display side-by-side views of the instructor's and the remote student's ultrasound feeds to allow the instructor to guide the remote student in his or her transducer placement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Using high-speed broadband connections, the two schools demonstrated the feasibility of remote, synchronous, practical, and hands-on ultrasound training and instruction over international distances. This opens up a broad range of possibilities for future remote ultrasound education.
Keywords:
medical education; remote; telementoring; ultrasound
Authors: Kahra Nix; E Liang Liu; Laura Oh; Youyou Duanmu; Tiffany Fong; Nicholas Ashenburg; Rachel B Liu Journal: Acad Med Date: 2021-12-01 Impact factor: 7.840