Technological Innovations in Online Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education: Assessing Competency Through Virtual Skills Application View Digital Media

Innovation Showcase
Malka Stromer,  Maren Nelson  

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) education requires assessment of competency through skills demonstration, including image review by trained professionals. We have developed an innovative curriculum, grounded in the learning theory of Communities of Practice, to create scalable apprenticeship models and sustainable mentorship opportunities in the on-going assessment of scanning skills at various learning levels. Our education model features stackable, scaffolded, fully online, asynchronous coursework that culminates in live scanning either in clinic, in person, and/or through virtual collaboration platforms, such as Zoom. As a culminating step, our summative assessment is conducted using our proprietary web-application, POCUS PRO,TM, which allows learners to upload scans of various POCUS protocols for expert review and feedback. This level of assessment ensures hands-on skills are demonstrable and encourages ongoing scan review as the learner solidifies their scanning skills by incorporating POCUS into their clinical practice. Currently there are no certification requirements, nor educational requirements for certification for POCUS use in medical settings. Our educational model positively impacts patient care, by creating a pathway to competency that ensures skills acquisition is uniformly demonstrated by learners. We are actively advocating for requirements that include this type of education in order to demonstrate skills competency prior to implementation in a clinical environment.