A Blended Prehospital Ultrasound Curriculum for Critical Care Paramedics

Point-of-care ultrasound is a nascent and growing area of prehospital care. Most previously described ultrasound curricula for paramedics examine a single type of ultrasound scan. Here, we describe the implementation and evaluation of a prehospital ultrasound curriculum using a blended model of traditional didactics and hands-on experience with online prereading.

We recruited a prospective convenience sample of critical care paramedics without prior ultrasound experience to take part in a 2-day ultrasound course. All participants completed prereading modules built from online resources followed by a didactic review of the material and hands-on practice. Ultrasound examinations included extended focused abdominal sonography in trauma, cardiac ultrasound, thoracic ultrasound, and vascular ultrasound. A written examination evaluated ultrasound theory and image interpretation, and a practical examination evaluated image acquisition.

Seventeen critical care paramedics completed the course with a mean grade on the written examination of 76%, with 76% of paramedics achieving the predetermined passing mark of 70% or greater. All paramedics passed the practical examination.

The implementation of a prehospital critical care ultrasound program is feasible in our provincial emergency medical services system. Further assessment is necessary to determine future knowledge and skill retention as well as clinical application and utility in real-world settings.