Key result
Hand-held ultrasound scanning by an inexperienced user over 8 weeks of training achieved substantial agreement with high-end echocardiography for functional assessment (κ > 0.61, P < 0.01).
Why the study?
Does training over 8 weeks improve the accuracy and quality of hand-held echocardiography performed by an inexperienced ultrasonographer compared to high-end echocardiography?
Observational (n=320)
Does training over 8 weeks improve the accuracy and quality of hand-held echocardiography performed by an inexperienced ultrasonographer compared to high-end echocardiography?
Short-term training in hand-held echocardiography leads to rapid improvement in basic diagnostic accuracy, though complex findings remain difficult to interpret.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports feasibility of brief training for basic handheld echo; leaves open extension to complex diagnoses or clinical outcomes.
AIMS: To investigate the training effect in echocardiography by using recent hand-held ultrasound scanners (HANDs). METHODS: In this prospective study, 320 consecutive patients were scanned with HAND by an inexperienced ultrasonographer over a period of 8 weeks. Imaging studies were compared with high-end echocardiography as gold standard. Segmental endocardial border delineation was scored to describe image quality. Assessment of left ventricular dimensions, regional/global left ventricular function and grading of valve disease were compared. RESULTS: A significant reduction in examination duration, improvement in image quality, substantial agreement in functional assessment (κ > 0.61, P < 0.01) and wall motion scoring (κ=0.67, P < 0.01) could be observed over time. The correlation in left ventricular measurements was excellent (r > 0.98, P < 0.01). The detection of valve diseases and pericardial effusions was sufficient, but the grading only moderate (κ < 0.6). CONCLUSION: Well-grounded training in echocardiography leads to a rapid improvement in image acquisition and interpretation over a period of a few weeks. Basic diagnostic findings could be interpreted with high accuracy after short training. Interpretation of complex findings remained difficult. The time needed to carry out an examination using pocket echocardiography could not be reduced to less than 3-4 min per patient. New educational concepts are warranted.
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Prinz et al. (2012) reported an observational. Hand-held ultrasound scanners (HANDs) training vs. High-end echocardiography was evaluated on Agreement in functional assessment (κ > 0.61, p=< 0.01). Hand-held ultrasound scanning by an inexperienced user over 8 weeks of training achieved substantial agreement with high-end echocardiography for functional assessment (κ > 0.61, P < 0.01).
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