Needle Angle Matters: An Investigation of the Effect of Needle Angle on Hemodialysis Cannulation Skill.

Key Points: Three metrics that quantify cannulation skill on the basis of needle angle are introduced. All three needle angle metrics were demonstrated to be useful in predicting cannulation outcomes on the simulator.

Background: Cannulation is critical for maintaining a functional vascular access for patients on hemodialysis.

Relating process and outcome metrics for meaningful and interpretable cannulation skill assessment: A machine learning paradigm.

Background And Objectives: The quality of healthcare delivery depends directly on the skills of clinicians. For patients on hemodialysis, medical errors or injuries caused during cannulation can lead to adverse outcomes, including potential death. To promote objective skill assessment and effective training, we present a machine learning approach, which utilizes a highly-sensorized cannulation simulator and a set of objective process and outcome metrics.

Simulator-Based Metrics for Quantifying Vascular Palpation Skill for Cannulation.

Palpation is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment in many clinical examinations and procedures. Specifically, vascular palpation is used to diagnose cardiovascular health issues and identify anatomical landmarks in the peripheral vascular system. However, little attention has been given to quantifying what comprises skilled vascular palpation; therefore, this study aims to objectively quantify the differences between high performer (HP), mid performer (MP), and low performer (LP) behavior towards understanding vascular palpation skills.

Measuring Cannulation Skills for Hemodialysis: Objective Versus Subjective Assessment.

Lack of cannulation skill during hemodialysis treatments results in poor clinical outcomes due to infiltration and other cannulation-related trauma. Unfortunately, training of patient care technicians and nurses, specifically on the "technical" aspects of cannulation, has traditionally not received much attention. Simulators have been successfully deployed in many medical specialties for assessment and training of clinical skills.

A Method for Segmenting the Process of Needle Insertion during Simulated Cannulation using Sensor Data.

Cannulation is a routine yet challenging medical procedure resulting in a direct impact on patient outcomes. While current training programs provide guidelines to learn this complex procedure, the lack of objective and quantitative feedback impedes learning this skill more effectively. In this paper, we present a simulator for performing hemodialysis cannulation that captures the process using multiple sensing modalities that provide a multi-faceted assessment of cannulation.