A proposed new clinical assessment framework for diagnostic medical ultrasound students

Current financial pressures within higher education institutions (HEIs) are driving new ways of delivering education and assessment. New technological developments are facilitating opportunities to rethink traditional educational methods and explore more innovative, effective approaches. Set against a background of increasing pressures to integrate technology to enhance learning, both in higher education and the NHS, education is moving towards greater integration of technology. Ultrasound education is an area which is currently being reviewed in many HEIs, as these programmes are expensive to administer for the relatively low numbers of students involved. Within ultrasound education, rigorous assessment of clinical competence is an area which is particularly expensive to undertake, and methods used in many training programmes are potentially unsustainable for HEIs in the current economic climate. In addition, clinical assessment methods used are often criticised for the difficulties encountered in trying to exclude subjectivity from the process, and ensure equity across all assessments. A new framework is therefore proposed, which has recently been accredited within a HEI ultrasound training programme by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE), and has been piloted during 2013. One of the components of this approach is the incorporation of an ultrasound simulator, which will help to standardise assessments and ensure students are assessed over a range of pathologies, rather than only those randomly presenting on the day of assessment. This paper discusses details of the newly accredited assessment process.