Evaluation of an Online Application for Point of Care Ultrasound Training in General Internal Medicine Residents

NCT07372053 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2024-01470
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 56
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study compares Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training in two hospitals, one that uses an online application for supervision and one that does not use the application. The goal of this trial is to learn if POCUS supervision using the online application is associated with improved POCUS skills in residents in General Internal Medicine (GIM). The main question it aims to answer is: \- Do POCUS skills improve more during 6 months in GIM residents supervised using the application than in GIM residents who do not use the application? Further questions the study aims to answer are:

• Do residents using the application perform more POCUS exams during 6 months than residents not using the application?
• Are residents using the application more satisfied with their POCUS training than residents not using the application?

Conditions

Ultrasound Exam in Emergency/Medical Care; Ultrasound Evaluation; Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Keywords

POCUS; Point of Care Ultrasound; Point of Care Ultrasonography; Medical Education; Ultrasound Education; POCUS Training; POCUS Education; Ultrasound Supervision; POCUS Supervision; Ultrasound Training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change from baseline in POCUS skills

  POCUS skills will be evaluated on healthy volunteers by video-recorded OSCE

  Post-test 6 months (+/- 2 weeks) from pre-test

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Number of POCUS exams performed

  During 6 months after baseline assessment (pre-test)

• Number of supervised POCUS exams performed

  During 6 months after baseline assessment (pre-test)

• Number of directly supervised POCUS exams performed

  During 6 months after baseline assessment (pre-test)

• Change in satisfaction and engagement with POCUS training

  Follow-up assessment 6 months (+/- 2 weeks) after baseline assessment

• Change in self-assessed POCUS competency

  Follow-up assessment 6 months (+/- 2 weeks) after baseline assessment

Other Outcomes (2)

• Usefulness of the online application

  6 months (+/- 2 weeks) after baseline assessment

• Change from baseline in POCUS skills within the individual cohorts

  Post-test 6 month (+/- 2 weeks) from pre-test

Study Arms (2)

POCUS supervision using application

This group is supervised using the online application.

Usual POCUS supervision

This group receives usual POCUS supervision, without using the application.

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

General internal medicine residents at two hospitals in Switzerland

You may qualify if:

• General Internal Medicine resident employed at one of the study sites for at least 2 months
• Probably or definitely interested in achieving POCUS certification (mandatory for the General Internal Medicine specialisation in Switzerland)
• Basic ultrasound course completed (Basic course Abdominal ultrasound or Emergency ultrasound)
• Will spend at least 3 months within a rotation where POCUS training is offered during the 6 months after baseline assessment

You may not qualify if:

• Definitely or probably not interested in achieving POCUS certification
• Has already performed more than 80 supervised and more than 160 total POCUS exams
• Will end employment at the study site less than 7 months after baseline assessment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Kantonsspital Baden: lead
• Spital Limmattal Schlieren: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Kantonsspital Baden

Baden, Canton of Aargau, 5404, Switzerland

Location

Spital Limmattal Schlieren

Schlieren, Canton of Zurich, 8952, Switzerland

Location

Study Officials

• Maria M Wertli, MD PhD

  Kantonsspital Baden

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Tudor Cosma, MD

CONTACT

+41564862502; tudor.cosma@ksb.ch

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 20, 2026
• First Posted: January 28, 2026
• Study Start: February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028
• Last Updated: January 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

CH (2)