In the sub-headings below the Teacher’s Corner tab you’ll find password protected access to several resources including slide decks, more recorded lectures, SonoGames material, simulation cases, assessment templates and a growing exam file! Email EDSonoShare@gmail.com to receive access!

A few suggestions about integrating Emergency Ultrasound (EUS) into EM training

1) For best results (see this study), EUS should be integrated both horizontally and longitudinally

a) Longitudinally: Material should be delivered and revisited in a developmentally appropriate way with increasing difficulty and complexity over the duration of the EM training program. This applies both to the clinical integration of EUS, but even more so to the development of image generation skills. This is where the use of the “flipped” classroom can be helpful (see our recorded lectures) as basic concepts are learned prior to the session, and thus instructor time can be maximized for hands-on practice.

b) Horizontally: EUS should be integrated across several learning sessions and modalities (rather than taught in isolation at a single course). For example, this means EUS integration in Academic Half Day lectures on several topics such as Trauma, BIP, AE CHF and DVT (implying the need to have EUS credentialed clinicians delivering these topics) as well as during critical care simulation. Generally, the focus of these sessions is NOT image generation, but rather knowledge of test performance and clinical integration. For a list of AHD topics that should have EUS content, as well as simulation sonocases, check out our library.

2) There is an ongoing need for supervised scanning – but the numbers are more of a guide for trainees rather than a hard cut off. On shift supervision offers tremendous insights into a trainees EUS abilities – but these assessments of skill must be balanced against other skills that need coaching as well. Furthermore, indirectly supervised scanning (through image capture) is an effective approach to limited supervisor resources and will be increasingly important as expectations for image capture increase.

There are several options for image capture. The simplest involves trainees saving images/clips to a USB. Check out this link for a primer on “how to”.

3) Assessment drives learning! Trainees want opportunities to test their knowledge/ prove themselves, while competence committees are hungry for data beyond on-shift assessments. Trainees should have the following off-shift formative experiences at least once per year: image interpretation and clinical integration review and testing (see our exam file with Powerpoint/Keynote based exams), practical exams including OSCEs and mini-CX assesments, and evaluations of trainee-prepared rounds/seminars on EUS topics. Keep in mind, your competency committee is not made of EUS gurus – they want and need as much data as possible to make determinations about competence.