Remote Guidance for eFAST Training Using a Head-Mounted Device
Remote-eFAST
2 other identifiers
interventional
75
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This study looks at the best way to remotely teach and guide doctors-in-training to perform a bedside ultrasound exam called eFAST (extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma), which is used to quickly check injured patients for internal bleeding or air around the lungs. The study takes place in a simulation setting, with no real patients. Resident physicians who have completed the basic ultrasound courses each watch the same short instructional video and then perform three eFAST examinations on the same healthy volunteer. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) the instructional video only, with no live help; (2) the video plus real-time audio guidance from a remote expert who can see the live ultrasound image; or (3) the video plus guidance through a head-mounted device that also lets the expert see the participant's own point of view. Afterwards, experts who were not involved in a given exam review the recorded ultrasound images, without knowing which group the participant was in, and rate the image quality and skill. The study also measures how long the exams take, the participants' workload, and the comfort and usability of the system. The goal is to learn whether real-time remote guidance, and in particular guidance through a head-mounted device, helps trainees produce better and faster eFAST examinations than an instructional video alone.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable
Started Jul 2026
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 11, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
July 1, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
July 7, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
August 1, 2026
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 1, 2027
ExpectedJuly 7, 2026
June 1, 2026
1 month
June 11, 2026
June 29, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
eFAST image-quality score (QUICk Global Rating Scale, GRS)
Participant-level mean QUICk Global Rating Scale across the three eFAST examinations. The GRS has four domains (image adjustment, image sweeping, flow of procedure, overall performance), each rated 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent); total 4 to 20. Each examination is scored by two blinded experts who did not supervise it. Minimum 4, maximum 20; higher scores indicate better image quality. Unit of Measure: score on a 4 to 20 scale
Three examinations during the study session (Day 1); blinded scoring during the rating period (up to ~3 months after)
Secondary Outcomes (10)
eFAST image quality - QUICk Task-Specific Checklist (TSC)
Day 1 examinations; blinded scoring during the rating period (up to ~3 months after the session)
eFAST operator competence - Adapted OSAUS
Day 1 examinations; blinded scoring during the rating period (up to ~3 months after the session)
Global diagnostic adequacy rating
Day 1 examinations; blinded scoring during the rating period (up to ~3 months after the session)
Mean eFAST examination duration
Day 1 (study session)
Perceived workload (NASA-TLX, raw)
Day 1, immediately after the session
- +5 more secondary outcomes
Other Outcomes (5)
Learning effect on image-quality score (exam 1 to 3)
Across the three examinations on Day 1
Learning effect on examination duration (exam 1 to 3)
Across the three examinations on Day 1
Time spent per eFAST region/window
Day 1 (study session)
- +2 more other outcomes
Study Arms (3)
Video-only
ACTIVE COMPARATORinstructional eFAST video only; no live remote guidance
Video+audio
EXPERIMENTALInstructional video plus real-time audio-only remote guidance via Microsoft Teams; the expert sees the live ultrasound image
Video+HMD
EXPERIMENTALInstructional video plus real-time remote guidance via the Arc 3 head-mounted device (RealWear) and Microsoft Teams; the expert sees the participant's point-of-view and the live ultrasound image
Interventions
All participants watch the same brief standardized instructional eFAST video and receive a short standardized introduction to the ultrasound system, then perform three consecutive complete eFAST examinations on a standardized healthy volunteer. In the video-only arm this is the only instruction; no live expert guidance is provided during the examinations.
A remote emergency-ultrasound expert joins the session via Microsoft Teams, views the participant's live ultrasound image in real time (streamed from the GE system to a study laptop that shares it in the call), and provides verbal, audio-only guidance during the eFAST examinations. The expert does not see the participant's point of view. Guidance is real-time only.
In addition to the live ultrasound image shared via Microsoft Teams, the participant wears the Arc 3 head-mounted device (RealWear), which transmits their point-of-view video to the remote expert in the same Teams call. The expert sees both the point-of-view stream and the live ultrasound image and gives real-time guidance; the participant can see the expert's video on the head-mounted display.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Age 18 years or older
- Resident physician currently in postgraduate training
- Completion of the national Basic Course in Abdominal Ultrasound and the Basic Course in Emergency Ultrasound (SGUM)
- Sufficient proficiency in English to understand study instructions, questionnaires, and expert guidance
- Able and willing to attend an approximately 45-minute study session
- Written informed consent
You may not qualify if:
- Physical limitations that impair ultrasound performance (e.g., upper-limb injury, uncorrected severe visual impairment)
- Unable to attend the scheduled session
- Participation in conflicting educational studies
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Balgrist Campus, University Hospital Balgrist
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Philipp Fürnstahl, PhD
Balgrist University Hospital
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Masking Details
- Single (Outcomes Assessor). Open-label conduct; QUICk/OSAUS raters are blinded and never rate exams they supervised.
- Purpose
- HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Prof. Dr. Sc. Philipp Fürnstahl, University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 11, 2026
First Posted
July 7, 2026
Study Start
July 1, 2026
Primary Completion
August 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
June 1, 2027
Last Updated
July 7, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be shared. Study data are pseudonymized, access-restricted, and retained for 20 years in accordance with the protocol.