Point-of-care Ultrasound Teledidactic Teaching for Prehospital Emergency Personnel

NCT06824675 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2107/2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two methods of teaching emergency medical service (EMS) providers how to use point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to quickly assess critical conditions like internal bleedings. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is teledidactic training as effective as face-to-face training in teaching POCUS skills? What are the participants' experiences, cognitive load, and feedback regarding these training methods? Researchers will compare remote, online hands-on training (teledidactic training) to traditional, face-to-face hands-on training (in-person training) to see if remote training is equally effective. Participants will: Be EMS providers from Austria and Hungary, aged 18 years or older, with no extensive prior experience in POCUS. Be randomly assigned to either the tele-didactic or in-person training group (50 participants per group). Undergo training sessions designed to teach POCUS skills and provide feedback on their learning experience. This study is part of the European Union-funded Digi4Care project, which aims to promote digitalization in healthcare. It is significant because, if remote training proves effective, it could provide high-quality education to EMS providers in rural or underserved areas, ensuring they have the necessary skills to assess and respond to critical conditions.

Conditions

eFast; Fate; Education, Medical; Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Keywords

EMS Personell; Education; Medical Education; critical care; emergency; Ultrasound; POCUS; Anaesthesiology; emergency medical technician; point-of-care ultrasound

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Difference in the performance of an eFAST POCUS examination between randomized groups

  The primary outcome measure is the difference in the total Objective Structured Assessment of Ultrasound Skill (OSAUS) score between the participants' of the two groups. Possible assessment scores range from 7 to 37 points, with higher scores indicating better performance.

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Difference in OSAUS score for each objective between randomized groups

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

• Difference in time taken to demonstrate all views as required by the assessment checklist

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

• Difference in cognitive load between randomized groups

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

• Difference in learning outcomes and training design using TEI between randomized groups

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

• Evaluation of participants' feedback on specific questions

  evaluation within 3 weeks after study completion

Study Arms (2)

Teledidactic Training

OTHER

Remote, online hands-on training

Other: Teledidactic Training

In-Person Hands-on Training

OTHER

Traditional face-to-face hands on-training

Other: In-Person Hands-on Training

Interventions

Teledidactic Training OTHER

Participants will take part in a tele-didactic training session, matching the duration of the control group's training. This workshop will cover the same content as the control group's session, but instead of in-person instruction, teaching experts will deliver the training remotely using telemedicine software.

Teledidactic Training

In-Person Hands-on Training OTHER

Participants will attend a face-to-face, hands-on workshop led by experts to learn the eFAST protocol.

In-Person Hands-on Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• EMT-Intermediate/Advanced in the Austrian or Hungarian EMS
• ≥18 years

You may not qualify if:

• Experienced POCUS examiners, defined as \>20 real-life or simulated POCUS examinations following the eFAST protocol
• inadequate knowledge of English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical University of Vienna: lead
• Semmelweis University Budapest: collaborator
• Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Medical University of Vienna

Vienna, 1070, Austria

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emergencies

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: The study consists of five phases. Participants begin by watching an introductory video and completing an electronic questionnaire to provide baseline information, including prior POCUS experience and openness to new methods. They are then randomly assigned to either the teledidactic (intervention) or in-person (control) training group. Next, all participants complete a standardized e-learning course covering POCUS basics and the eFAST protocol. This is followed by a supervised hands-on training session conducted either in person or remotely, based on group assignment. Participants are then evaluated during a simulated emergency case. They also complete a follow-up questionnaire on their cognitive load and learning experience. Finally, expert reviewers analyze video recordings of the assessments using the OSAUS scoring system to evaluate systematic examination skills and image interpretation accuracy

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2025
• First Posted: February 13, 2025
• Study Start: February 23, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 8, 2025
• Study Completion: May 8, 2025
• Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

AU (1)