Telepresent Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Examination Training Versus Traditional Training for Medical Students: A Simulation-Based Pilot Study.

Objectives: Telepresent education is becoming an important modality in medical education, as it provides a means for instructors to lead education sessions via videoconferencing technologies. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of telepresent ultrasound training versus traditional in-person ultrasound training.

Methods: Medical student cohorts were educated by either traditional in-person instruction or telementoring on how to perform a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination. Effectiveness was evaluated by pre- and post-multiple-choice tests (knowledge), confidence surveys, and summative simulation scenarios (hands-on FAST simulation). Formative simulation scenario debriefings were evaluated by each student using the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare student version (DASH-SV).

Results: Each method of instruction had significant increases in knowledge, confidence, and hands-on FAST simulation performance (P < .05). The collective increase in knowledge was greater for the in-person group, whereas the improvement in FAST examination performance during simulations was greater for the telementored group. Confidence gains were comparable between the groups. The DASH-SV scores were significantly higher for the in-person group for each criterion; however, both methods were deemed effective via median scoring.

Conclusions: Telepresent education is a viable option for teaching the FAST examination to medical students.