Development and remodeling of point-of-care ultrasound education for emergency medicine residents in resource-limited countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Background: The administration of an accurate and effective point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) course is a crucial tool in improving health education and thus the healthcare system in low-to middle-income countries. The development of the ultrasound curriculum in these countries during the pandemic era is a major challenge for medical educators. Objective: This study aims to survey the learner experience after implementing the POCUS curriculum for first-year emergency medicine residents. Method: A cross-sectional 10-question survey study was conducted at Srinagarind Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Thailand, from July 2019 to July 2021 to determine the experience of POCUS learning by using the 5-point Likert-type scale after first-year emergency residents finishing the ultrasound rotation. Results: All learners responded to the survey. Our results demonstrated that the ultrasound rotation and our ultrasound learning materials were useful tools that showed a positive impact on POCUS knowledge for our learners. However, some obstacles of POCUS learning were identified to assist in closing faculty development gaps the availability of handheld devices as well as the remodeling of the ultrasound rotation course should be managed according to the feedback we received. This study demonstrated a clear need for constant updates in higher education, medical program development, the accuracy of local learning materials, and the explosion of virtual and online learning platforms during this decade. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that all academic activities employed and the ultrasound learning materials were useful in improving POCUS knowledge. However, we found some obstacles of POCUS learning that needed to be improved, mainly the length of time of training.