Abstract
Diagnostic ultrasound is a medical imaging modality used to evaluate the status of a patient’s living internal anatomy. In recent decades, allied health professionals have begun to use diagnostic ultrasound outside of traditional imaging departments at the point of care in inpatient, outpatient, and prehospital settings. So-called point of care ultrasound (POCUS) makes use of rapid, focused imaging studies to help answer clinical questions. POCUS has the potential to convey significant benefits to medical providers and their patients by streamlining clinical workflow, promoting rapid access to diagnostic information and limiting patient exposure to costly or irradiating alternative imaging studies. However, implementation of POCUS requires providers to master the basic principles and instrumentation of ultrasound, develop hands-on skills of image acquisition and optimization, and gain proficiency in image interpretation for clinical decision making. Therefore, opportunities to participate in necessary and sufficient didactic and practical training followed by mentored clinical experience must be developed in order for students to matriculate to practice with the ability to implement POCUS. As a result, diagnostic ultrasound is increasingly incorporated in health professions education curricula. Despite the rapid adoption across institutions, faculty continue to face challenges in implementing de novo POCUS curricula due to a lack of widespread expertise, institutional teaching materials, ultrasound equipment, and limited curricular time.
In this dissertation, I report on the development and implementation of POCUS curricula at the University of Idaho’s medical education and Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) programs. Study 1 details the development, implementation, and evaluation of a systems-based approach to POCUS for MSAT students. Study 2 grapples with the nuances of formative assessment strategies developed and implemented in a POCUS course for first year medical students. Finally, study 3 contains the first report of supervised POCUS use by MSAT students in a clinical setting. Together, these projects represent the establishment of the first POCUS courses, assessment strategies, and clinical training opportunities for students in the health professions at the University of Idaho.