Hands-on Simulation Workshop for Obstetric Ultrasound-Guided Invasive Procedures

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Clinical ultrasound procedures have decreased due to advances in cell-free DNA genetic testing.
• Reduced real-life procedures pose challenges for OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) trainee competency.
• Simulation offers a viable solution to supplement hands-on training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a simulation workshop for obstetric ultrasound-guided invasive procedures.
• To assess the effectiveness of simulation training in improving procedural skills for trainees.

Main Methods:

• A simulation workshop was created using ultrasound guidance task trainers and simulators for amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.
• The workshop included needle guidance basics, targeting tasks, and procedure-specific simulation.
• Participant feedback was collected via Likert-scale surveys during 2019-2020 courses.

Main Results:

• Approximately 300 individuals have participated in the workshops since 2015.
• In 2019-2020, 180 participants (41 MFM attending physicians, 136 MFM fellows, 3 OB/GYN residents) completed the post-course survey.
• Participants rated the simulation workshop highly, deeming it very effective for their training.

Conclusions:

• An introductory simulation workshop for obstetric ultrasound-guided procedures is highly rated by participants.
• Further objective assessment is needed to confirm skill improvement.
• Sustained high procedural skill may require repeated simulation exposure and advanced workshops.