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. 2023 Dec 30;14(6):66-77.
doi: 10.36834/cmej.75272. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Can you teach a hands-on skill online? A scoping review of e-learning for point-of-care ultrasound in medical education

Maya Harel-Sterling  1
Affiliations

Can you teach a hands-on skill online? A scoping review of e-learning for point-of-care ultrasound in medical education

Maya Harel-Sterling. Can Med Educ J. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: There is an increasing need and interest in teaching point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) online. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding e-learning as a method for teaching POCUS in medical education, to assess the benefits and limitations of various styles of e-learning for POCUS, and to identify gaps in the literature that could help guide future research in this field.

Methods: A literature search was conducted on three databases including MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials on October 12, 2021, retrieving a total of 1630 studies. 31 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies were separated into different styles of e-learning and learner outcomes were analyzed based on Kirkpatrick's hierarchy.

Results: The studies were categorized into three styles of e-learning: a) blended learning b) online-only (asynchronous or synchronous) and c) use of handheld machines or telesonography. POCUS knowledge and image interpretation were successfully taught online, however online-only learning for image acquisition was not as consistently effective. Blended learning and telesonography were beneficial for learning image acquisition skills. Generally, novice learners benefited most from e-learning.

Conclusion: E-learning for POCUS is gaining in popularity in recent years. POCUS is a complex technical skill, and depending on the individual task being taught, different styles of e-learning may be more successful. These findings can inform future POCUS educational programs.

Contexte: L'enseignement en ligne de l’échographie ciblée (ÉC) est l’objet d’un intérêt et de besoins croissants. L'objectif de cette étude était de passer systématiquement en revue la littérature sur l'apprentissage en ligne comme méthode d'enseignement de l’ÉC dans la formation médicale, d'évaluer les avantages et les limites des différents styles d'apprentissage en ligne pour l’ÉC et d'identifier les lacunes dans la littérature qui pourraient aider à orienter la recherche future dans ce domaine.

Méthodes: Une recherche a été effectuée dans trois bases de données, soit MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE et le Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, le 12 octobre 2021, ce qui a permis d'extraire un total de 1 630 études. 31 études répondaient aux critères d'inclusion et d'exclusion. Ces études ont été classées selon différents styles d'apprentissage en ligne et les progrès des apprenants ont été analysés en ayant recours au modèle de la hiérarchie de Kirkpatrick.

Résultats: Les études ont été classées en trois styles d'apprentissage en ligne : a) apprentissage mixte b) uniquement en ligne (asynchrone ou synchrone) et c) utilisation d'appareils portatifs ou de la télésonographie. Les connaissances en matière d’ÉC et l'interprétation des images ont été enseignées avec succès en ligne, mais l'apprentissage uniquement en ligne pour l'acquisition des images n'a pas été aussi efficace. L'apprentissage mixte et la télésonographie ont été bénéfiques pour l'acquisition des compétences en matière d'acquisition d'images. En général, ce sont les novices qui ont le plus bénéficié de l'apprentissage en ligne.

Conclusion: L'apprentissage en ligne pour l’ÉC gagne en popularité ces dernières années. L’ÉC est une compétence technique complexe et, en fonction de la tâche précise enseignée, différents styles d'apprentissage en ligne peuvent s'avérer plus efficaces. Ces résultats peuvent éclairer les futurs programmes de formation en ÉC.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ovid Medline Search Strategy MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process, In-Data-Review & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily 1946 to October 11, 2021. Search Strategy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
PRISMA chart of included and excluded articles for POCUS e-learning in medical education
Figure 3
Figure 3
Types of study design for POCUS e-learning in medical education
Figure 4
Figure 4
New relevant publications over time
Figure 5
Figure 5
POCUS applications included in the selected studies. Legend: Some studies included more than one application. If four or more applications were included, this was categorized as “multiple”. (FAST- focused assessment of sonography in trauma, MSK- musculoskeletal, JVP – jugular venous pressure, DVT – deep vein thrombosis)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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