Browsing by Author "Gaudet, Jonathan"

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    Development and Implementation of an Assessment Tool for Critical Care Trainees in Focused Cardiac Ultrasound
    (2014-03-04) Gaudet, Jonathan; Lockyer, Jocelyn
    The use of focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) as a diagnostic and monitoring tool in critical care medicine continues to expand. However, little attention has been placed to date on assessment tools that might critically evaluate the image acquisition skills of echocardiographers employing FCU in their practice. This study developed and evaluated a comprehensive assessment tool for FCU image acquisition in a cohort of intensive care residents learning FCU. Resident participants’ FCU image acquisition skills improved quickly and then reached a plateau. The FCU assessment tool developed was able to discern changes in FCU image acquisition performance over time and also distinguish between echocardiographers of different skill levels. The study results provide preliminary validity evidence for the new FCU assessment tool, that with further study, might have practical utility as a tool employed for summative assessment and certification in this growing area of acute care medicine.