An in-Depth Examination of the Characteristics of Pre-Hospital Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training Among Emergency Medicine Residents in Laos as Part of an Overseas Elective Rotation

Abstract

Introduction

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training has been offering invaluable guidance in the diagnostic process and treatment strategies, particularly in resource-limited settings. The purpose of this study was to determine participant satisfaction with the structure and scope of POCUS training in overseas elective rotation.

Material and Methods

A retrospective observational analytical study was undertaken. The study focused on EM residents from Laos who participated in the international elective rotation at the Khon Kaen University during the academic years 2020–2021 and 2022–2023. The research involved an exploration of training data related to this course, encompassing participant characteristics, the structure and scope of POCUS training, the training assessments, and post completion surveys of participants.

Results

The study involved 24 participants. The course was characterized by its status as an international elective program prehospital POCUS training for post graduate year 3 students. The duration of the rotation ranged from 2 to 4 weeks. Interestingly, in the academic year 2022–2023, the duration of POCUS training was notably extended to 8 hours, accounting for 4.76% of the total time. The training encompassed peer-to-peer didactic lectures, bedside teaching, and observational case studies at the Emergency Department (ED). The results of our survey, boasting a 100% response rate, indicated participants’ contentment with the academic performance, the abundance of learning resources, and the knowledge gained from this rotation that would aid their future careers. The overall satisfaction with this course was highly rated, falling into the “satisfy” and “highly satisfy” categories. However, certain challenges were reported, including feelings of isolation due to the distance from relatives, concerns related to interpersonal relationships with colleagues, and a sense of being isolated.

Conclusion

The participants were highly satisfied to the structure and scope of this course. The overseas elective rotation significantly enhanced the knowledge of Laos EM residents’ in POCUS and underscored the crucial importance of this course in EM training.

Keywords:

• ultrasonography
• emergency medicine
• emergency medical services
• education
• developing countries

Abbreviations

POCUS, point of care ultrasound; EM, emergency medicine; ED, emergency department; SAFER project, Project for Stopping the Accident Fatality Rise by EMS Development and Road Safety; JICA, The Japan International Cooperation Agency; EMS, emergency medical service; PGY, postgraduate year.

Data Sharing Statement

The corresponding author will disclose the data sets utilized and/or analyzed during the current work upon reasonable request.

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The Helsinki Declaration’s principles and Good Clinical Practice recommendations were implemented in this study. The Khon Kaen University Ethics Committee approved the study for Human Research. To maintain anonymity, all identifiers from the data gathered were removed. (HE661297).

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Josh Macknick for his assistance as an English consultant. We would additionally like to acknowledge the SAFER project and JICA for arranging this course and providing the living expenses and training funds for Laos Emergency Medicine residents.

Author Contributions

All authors have significantly contributed to the reported work, spanning conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas. They have participated in drafting, revising, and critically reviewing the article, granting their final approval of the version to be published. Agreement has been reached on the journal to which the article has been submitted, and all authors collectively assume for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Research and Graduate Studies, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.