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Background: Ultrasound is a safe and effective diagnostic tool used within several specialties. However, the quality of ultrasound scans relies on sufficiently skilled clinician operators. The aim of this study was to explore the validity of automated assessments of upper abdominal ultrasound skills using an ultrasound simulator., Methods: Twenty five novices and five experts were recruited, all of whom completed an assessment program for the evaluation of upper abdominal ultrasound skills on a virtual reality simulator. The program included five modules that assessed different organ systems using automated simulator metrics. We used Messick's framework to explore the validity evidence of these simulator metrics to determine the contents of a final simulator test. We used the contrasting groups method to establish a pass/fail level for the final simulator test., Results: Thirty seven out of 60 metrics were able to discriminate between novices and experts (p < 0.05). The median simulator score of the final simulator test including the metrics with validity evidence was 26.68% (range: 8.1-40.5%) for novices and 85.1% (range: 56.8-91.9%) for experts. The internal structure was assessed by Cronbach alpha (0.93) and intraclass correlation coefficient (0.89). The pass/fail level was determined to be 50.9%. This pass/fail criterion found no passing novices or failing experts., Conclusions: This study collected validity evidence for simulation-based assessment of upper abdominal ultrasound examinations, which is the first step toward competency-based training. Future studies may examine how competency-based training in the simulated setting translates into improvements in clinical performances., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Ultrasound is an essential diagnostic examination used in several medical specialties. However, the quality of ultrasound examinations is dependent on mastery of certain skills, which may be difficult and costly to attain in the clinical setting. This study aimed to explore mastery learning for trainees practicing general abdominal ultrasound using a virtual reality simulator and to evaluate the associated cost per student achieving the mastery learning level., Methods: Trainees were instructed to train on a virtual reality ultrasound simulator until the attainment of a mastery learning level was established in a previous study. Automated simulator scores were used to track performances during each round of training, and these scores were recorded to determine learning curves. Finally, the costs of the training were evaluated using a micro-costing procedure., Results: Twenty-one out of the 24 trainees managed to attain the predefined mastery level two times consecutively. The trainees completed their training with a median of 2h38min (range: 1h20min-4h30min) using a median of 7 attempts (range: 3-11 attempts) at the simulator test. The cost of training one trainee to the mastery level was estimated to be USD 638., Conclusion: Complete trainees can obtain mastery learning levels in general abdominal ultrasound examinations within 3 hours of training in the simulated setting and at an average cost of USD 638 per trainee. Future studies are needed to explore how the cost of simulation-based training is best balanced against the costs of clinical training., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The use of medical simulators for training technical and diagnostic skills has rapidly increased over the past decade. Yet, most available medical simulators have not been developed based on a structured evaluation of their intended uses but rather out of expected commercial value. Moreover, educators often struggle to access simulators because of cost or because no simulators have been developed for a particular procedure. In this report, we introduce "the V-model" as a conceptual framework to illustrate how simulator development can be guided by the intended uses in an iterative fashion. Applying a needs-based conceptual framework when developing simulators is important to increase the accessibility and sustainability of simulation-based medical education. It will minimize the developmental barriers and costs, while at the same time improving educational outcomes. Two new simulators for invasive ultrasound-guided procedures are used as examples, the chorionic villus sampling model and the ultrasound-guided aspiration trainer. Our conceptual framework and the use cases can serve as a template for future simulator development and documentation hereof., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Our current understanding of medical team competence is traditionally influenced by an individualistic perspective focusing on individual team members' knowledge, skills as well as on effective communication within the team. However, team dynamics may influence team performance more than previously anticipated. In particular, recent studies in other academic disciplines suggest that social ties between team members may impact team dynamics but this has not been explored for medical teams. We aimed to explore intensive care staff's perceptions about teamwork and performance in clinical emergencies focusing particularly on the teams' social ties., Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of intensive care staff. We used a thematic analysis approach to data interpretation., Results: Thematic saturation was achieved after three group interviews and eight individual interviews. Findings demonstrated that social ties influenced teamwork by affecting the teams' ability to co-construct knowledge, coordinate tasks, the need for hierarchy, the degree to which they relied on explicit or implicit communication, as well as their ability to promote adaptive behavior., Conclusions: Social ties may be an important factor to consider and acknowledge in the design of future team training, as well as for work planning and scheduling of team activities during clinical practice. More research is needed into the causal effect of social ties on team performance and outcome.

Objective: From 2012 to 2015, two Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and two Departments of Pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen implemented an English medium international project. The project allowed international students to work in pairs with local Danish speaking students in a clinical setting. The student cohort was supported by Danish doctors who were responsible for student-pair supervision in English and, ultimately, patient care. Drawing on survey responses of 113 Danish doctors, this study considers the doctors' overall evaluation of the program and their perception of the international students' knowledge, skills and attitudes compared with local students., Results: The Danish doctors rated the international and local students comparable in respect to professional commitment (p = 0.347), academic level (p = 0.134), and English proficiency (p = 0.080). The Danish doctors rated the international students significantly lower than the local students regarding communication with Danish doctors, other hospital staff, and patients (p < 0.001 in all cases). Ninety percent of the doctors involved in the project supported continuing working with internationalization if it included mixed pairs of students and a Danish doctor assigned each day to be exclusively responsible for student supervision. Language barriers for international medical students could be overcome but required substantial faculty support.

Background: Standardised courses for laypeople in Paediatric Basic Life Support (PBLS) and Foreign Body Airway Obstruction Management (FBAOM) teach essential skills for the initiation of resuscitation by bystanders. Performance assessments are necessary to ensure that skills are acquired. We aimed to examine the validity of developed performance assessments and to determine credible pass/fail standards., Methods: Validity evidence was gathered in a standardised simulated setting by testing participants with three different levels of PBLS/FBAOM experience: untrained laypersons, trained laypersons, and lifeguards. Two blinded raters assessed participants' performance. The reliability of test scores was analysed using generalizability theory, scores were compared across the three groups, and pass/fail-standards were established., Results: A total of 33 participants were included. More than two raters and two cases were necessary for PBLS to achieve a reliability coefficient above 0.80, which is considered the minimally acceptable level for high-stakes certification. For FBAOM, two tests or three raters were needed. Assessment scores differed across the three groups for PBLS skills, as well as for FBAOM skills (p < 0.001). Pass levels of 74% and 55% of the maximum score for PBLS and FBAOM, respectively, were identified as the levels that best discriminated between competent and non-competent laypersons., Conclusions: Laypersons' PBLS and FBAOM skills can be assessed in a reliable and valid way in a standardised simulated setting. However, multiple raters and scenario tests are needed to ensure sufficient reliability, which raises questions regarding the feasibility of performing certification tests for laypersons who participate in short paediatric resuscitation courses.

Background: Assessment of laypersons' Paediatric Basic Life Support (PBLS) skills is important to ensure acquisition of effective PBLS competencies. However limited evidence exists on which PBLS skills are essential for laypersons. The same challenges exist with respect to the assessment of foreign body airway obstruction management (FBAOM) skills. We aimed to establish international consensus on how to assess laypersons' PBLS and FBAOM skills., Methods: A Delphi consensus survey was conducted. Out of a total of 84 invited experts, 28 agreed to participate. During the first Delphi round experts suggested items to assess laypersons' PBLS and FBAOM skills. In the second round, the suggested items received comments from and were rated by 26 experts (93%) on a 5-point scale (1 = not relevant to 5 = essential). Revised items were anonymously presented in a third round for comments and 23 (82%) experts completed a re-rating. Items with a score above 3 by more than 80% of the experts in the third round were included in an assessment instrument., Results: In the first round, 19 and 15 items were identified to assess PBLS and FBAOM skills, respectively. The ratings and comments from the last two rounds resulted in nine and eight essential assessment items for PBLS and FBAOM skills, respectively. The PBLS items included: "Responsiveness"," Call for help", "Open airway"," Check breathing", "Rescue breaths", "Compressions", "Ventilations", "Time factor" and "Use of AED". The FBAOM items included: "Identify different stages of foreign body airway obstruction", "Identify consciousness", "Call for help", "Back blows", "Chest thrusts/abdominal thrusts according to age", "Identify loss of consciousness and change to CPR", "Assessment of breathing" and "Ventilation"., Discussion: For assessment of laypersons some PBLS and FBAOM skills described in guidelines are more important than others. Four out of nine of PBLS skills focus on airway and breathing skills, supporting the major importance of these skills for laypersons' resuscitation attempts., Conclusions: International consensus on how to assess laypersons' paediatric basic life support and foreign body airway obstruction management skills was established. The assessment of these skills may help to determine when laypersons have acquired competencies., Trial Registration: Not relevant.