Point-of-care Ultrasound, Prehospital Emergency Medical Services
Conditions
Keywords
Prehospital ultrasound, emergency medical technicians, Education
Brief summary
The goal of this prospective observational study is to develop and assess the core ultrasound applications for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Taiwan. The study focuses on advanced emergency medical technicians (EMT-Ps) and their ability to perform point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in prehospital settings. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can a standardized POCUS training program improve EMT-Ps' competency in ultrasound applications? What is the reliability and validity of the newly established POCUS assessment modules for EMT-Ps? Researchers will compare trained EMT-Ps' ultrasound proficiency and clinical decision-making before and after training to see if structured POCUS education enhances diagnostic accuracy and patient care in prehospital settings. Participants will: Attend a structured POCUS training program, including lectures and hands-on practice with standardized patients and simulation models. Undergo competency assessments, including written exams, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and image interpretation tests. Perform ultrasound scans on actual patients in prehospital settings, focusing on trauma, respiratory distress, stroke, and cardiac arrest cases. Receive feedback and participate in follow-up assessments to evaluate knowledge retention and clinical application.
Interventions
OTHERPOCUS education curriculum
The training includes a 4-hour curriculum consisting of a 1-hour didactic session covering ultrasound principles and key applications, followed by 3 hours of hands-on practice using standardized models or phantoms under instructor supervision. Core scanning topics include Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST), lung ultrasound for dyspnea, carotid Doppler for suspected stroke, and focused cardiac ultrasound for cardiac arrest. Post-training assessments include a written test and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).
Sponsors
National Taiwan University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Patients presenting with one of the following conditions in the prehospital setting: Trauma Dyspnea (shortness of breath) Suspected stroke Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)
Exclusion criteria
* Patients with hemodynamic instability or critical conditions requiring immediate resuscitation, making them unsuitable for focused prehospital ultrasound performed by EMT-Ps. * Patients under the age of 18.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound Image Quality Score for Target Structure Visualization | From enrollment to one day after patient was sent to hospital | The score of ultrasound images assessing the visualization quality of target anatomical structures (e.g., blood vessels, Morrison's pouch, spleno-renal recess, cul-de-sac), evaluated using a standardized 10-point image quality rating scale (1 = Poor, 10 = Excellent). Each ultrasound image receives an overall score reflecting the adequacy of target structure visualization, as rated by trained reviewers. |
Contacts
Primary ContactWan-Ching Lien, M.D., Ph.D.
Outcome results
None listed