Development and Preliminary Evaluation of an Anthropomorphic Trans-rectal Ultrasound Prostate Brachytherapy Training Phantom.

The quality of the trans-rectal ultrasound (TRUS) image, and thus seed placement during the prostate brachytherapy (PBT) procedure, relies on the user's technical and clinical competency. Simulation-based medical education can provide a structured approach for the acquisition of clinical competencies, but the efficacy of the training relies on the fidelity of the training simulators. In this work, the design, development and preliminary evaluation of an anthropomorphic training phantom for TRUS PBT is described. TRUS clinical patient data informed the design of 3-D printed moulds to fabricate prostate targets. Tissue-mimicking materials were included that had the sonographic characteristics of the prostate and overlying tissues, as well as the clinically relevant physical response, to provide haptic feedback to the user. Through an iterative design process, prototypes were constructed. These prototypes were quantitatively evaluated using a specification list and evaluated by an experienced clinical brachytherapy oncologist; their feedback was implemented, and the results of this evaluation are presented.

Use of Novel Anthropomorphic Breast Ultrasound Phantoms for Radiology Resident Education.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the training and assessment role of anthropomorphic breast ultrasound phantoms that simulated both the morphological and sonographic characteristics of breast tissue, including lesions, in a group of radiology residents at a large academic medical center. METHODS: This was a prospective study involving nine residents across second to fourth years of a radiology residency program. Two devices (phantom 1 and phantom 2) were designed and constructed to produce similar realistic sonographic images of breast morphology with a range of embedded pathologies to provide a realistic training experience. Baseline assessments of all residents' ability to detect and characterize lesions in phantom 1 were carried out, followed by a 2-hour teaching session on the same phantom. All residents underwent a posttraining, final assessment on phantom 2 to evaluate changes in their lesion detection rate and ability to correctly characterize the lesions. RESULTS: The results demonstrated there was a significant increase in both the pooled detection and correct characterization score for all residents pre- and posttraining of 26% ± 14% and 17% ± 8%, P < .0003, respectively. Posttraining assessment surveys revealed that residents rated the training experience highly. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that there is a benefit in including a simulation training workshop with a novel anthropomorphic breast ultrasound training device to a radiology resident education program. Finally, the phantoms used in this study are useful for training and assessment purposes because they provide a lifelike simulation of breast tissue to practice ultrasound imaging without direct exposure to patients, in an environment with no pressure.

Pilot Investigation into the Use of an Anthropomorphic Breast Sonography Phantom as a Training and Assessment Tool.

A device for the training and quantitative assessment of the competency of trainee radiologists in the technically challenging area of breast sonography was developed and evaluated. Currently, suitable commercially available devices are lacking, and there is a growing realization that the reliance on direct exposure to patients for learning may not represent best practice from either the trainees' or patients' perspective. Three devices (PI, PII and PIII) were designed to produce very realistic sonographic images of breast morphology with a range of embedded pathologies. The pilot evaluation used a case study research design to evaluate the role of the anthropomorphic breast sonography training device in training and assessment in a clinical environment. Through the case study, it was possible to evaluate the process and relationships when using this type of training intervention for a small group of radiology resident trainees. The investigation involved a baseline assessment of trainees' (n = 4) ability to detect and characterize all lesions in PI, followed by a 4-wk training period on PII and a post-training assessment using PIII. The evaluation revealed an improvement of 30% ± 8% in the trainee's performance from pre- to post-training. It was expected that the performance of the trainees would improve as the training phantom described in this study aligns with the learning theory of constructivism and fits the ideal specifications of a medical training device in terms of its realism and facilitation of self-directed learning and deliberate practice of the trainees. The device provides a useful platform upon which training and assessment can be facilitated.