A focused ultrasound curriculum for students in a regional emergency department: Prospective evaluation

Background: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) assists in the rapid diagnosis of conditions in the Emergency Department(ED). Skill with POCUS is now an expectation of many specialist colleges. While POCUS has been introduced to international medical curriculums, there is no described implementation of ultrasound training in medical schools in Australia.

Methods: An online questionnaire based on the Extended Focused Assessment in Trauma (E-FAST) exam was used to measure Year 4 and 5 medical students’ confidence and competence with POCUS prior to an educational intervention. After the education and the student’s ED clinical placement the online questionnaire was repeated and students were assessed performing the E-FAST exam on a healthy volunteer.

Results: 28 students participated in both the pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires. There was a significant improvement in confidence in performing the E-FAST post-intervention (Stuart-Maxwell χ2 = 25.2 (df 2), p < 0.001). Of the 27 participants who successfully completed the formative assessment, participants’ mean score was 31.8 out of 33 (SD 1.8, range 28-33).

Discussion: Following our educational intervention and a clinical ED placement, ultrasound knowledge, skills and confidence significantly improved. Students were able to perform the E-FAST exam at a clinically competent level as determined by formal summative examination. A focused curriculum for medical students can be successful in instilling POCUS knowledge and skills.