TY - JOUR
T1 - Value of interactive scanning for improving the outcome of new-learners in transcontinental tele-echocardiography (VISION-in-Tele-Echo) study
AU - Bansal, Manish
AU - Singh, Shaanemeet
AU - Maheshwari, Puneet
AU - Adams, David
AU - McCulloch, Marti L.
AU - Dada, Tanuj
AU - Sengupta, Shantanu P.
AU - Kasliwal, Ravi R.
AU - Pellikka, Patricia A.
AU - Sengupta, Partho P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Echocardiography.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Background: Point-of-care (POC) echocardiography may be helpful for mass triage, but such a strategy requires adequately trained sonographers at the remote site. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of using a novel POC echocardiography training program for improving physicians' imaging skills during preanesthetic cardiac evaluations performed in a community camp organized for treating cataract blindness. Methods: Seventeen physicians were provided 6 hours of training in the use of POC echocardiography; nine were taught on site and eight were taught online through a transcontinental tele-echocardiography system. The trained physicians subsequently scanned elderly patients undergoing cataract surgery. The quality of images was graded, and agreement between local physicians' interpretations and Web-based interpretations by worldwide experts was compared. Results: A total of 968 studies were performed, with 660 used for validating physicians' competence. Major cardiac abnormalities were seen in 136 patients (14.2%), with 32 (3.3%) deemed prohibitive to surgery in un-monitored settings. Although good-quality images were obtained more frequently byphysicians trained on site rather than online (P = .03), there were no differences between the two groups in agreement with expert interpretations. The majority of physicians (70.6%) expressed satisfaction with the training (average Likert-type scale score, 4.24 of 5), with no difference seen between the two groups. The training resulted in significant improvements in self-perceived competence in all components of POC echocardiography (P < .001 for all). Conclusions: This study establishes the feasibility of using short-duration, one-on-one, personalized transcontinental tele-echocardiography education for wider dissemination of echocardiographic skills to local physicians in remote communities, essential for optimizing global cardiovascular health.
AB - Background: Point-of-care (POC) echocardiography may be helpful for mass triage, but such a strategy requires adequately trained sonographers at the remote site. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of using a novel POC echocardiography training program for improving physicians' imaging skills during preanesthetic cardiac evaluations performed in a community camp organized for treating cataract blindness. Methods: Seventeen physicians were provided 6 hours of training in the use of POC echocardiography; nine were taught on site and eight were taught online through a transcontinental tele-echocardiography system. The trained physicians subsequently scanned elderly patients undergoing cataract surgery. The quality of images was graded, and agreement between local physicians' interpretations and Web-based interpretations by worldwide experts was compared. Results: A total of 968 studies were performed, with 660 used for validating physicians' competence. Major cardiac abnormalities were seen in 136 patients (14.2%), with 32 (3.3%) deemed prohibitive to surgery in un-monitored settings. Although good-quality images were obtained more frequently byphysicians trained on site rather than online (P = .03), there were no differences between the two groups in agreement with expert interpretations. The majority of physicians (70.6%) expressed satisfaction with the training (average Likert-type scale score, 4.24 of 5), with no difference seen between the two groups. The training resulted in significant improvements in self-perceived competence in all components of POC echocardiography (P < .001 for all). Conclusions: This study establishes the feasibility of using short-duration, one-on-one, personalized transcontinental tele-echocardiography education for wider dissemination of echocardiographic skills to local physicians in remote communities, essential for optimizing global cardiovascular health.
KW - Focused ultrasound
KW - Tele-echocardiography
KW - Tele-education
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U2 - 10.1016/j.echo.2014.09.001
DO - 10.1016/j.echo.2014.09.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 25306222
AN - SCOPUS:84927696872
SN - 0894-7317
VL - 28
SP - 75
EP - 87
JO - Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography
JF - Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography
IS - 1
ER -