Tomographic Plane Visualization (ToPlaV): a Tool to Enhance Echocardiographic Training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

• Visual learning is crucial for mastering echocardiography.
• Acquiring pediatric echocardiography images requires specialized psychomotor skills.
• Current training methods can be enhanced with innovative visual tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate the tomographic plane visualization (ToPlaV) tool for pediatric echocardiography skills training.
• To assess the perceived usefulness of ToPlaV among cardiology fellows.
• To determine if ToPlaV can effectively supplement existing echocardiography training modalities.

Main Methods:

• ToPlaV was integrated into a transthoracic echocardiography bootcamp for first-year cardiology fellows.
• Trainees utilized ToPlaV to practice psychomotor skills mimicking echocardiography image acquisition.
• A qualitative survey was administered to gather fellow feedback on ToPlaV's utility.

Main Results:

• All fellow trainees universally agreed that ToPlaV is a valuable educational tool.
• ToPlaV effectively emulates the psychomotor skills required for echocardiography.
• The tool was perceived as a simple, low-cost adjunct to simulators and live models.

Conclusions:

• ToPlaV is a highly useful and effective visual teaching tool for pediatric echocardiography.
• The tool's ability to simulate psychomotor skills supports its integration into training.
• Incorporating ToPlaV into early training curricula for pediatric cardiology fellows is recommended.