Procedural case: Ultrasound Case: Syncope in PE.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Simulation
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Background:

• Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is crucial in Emergency Medicine (EM) for diagnosis, resuscitation, and procedures.
• Standardized POCUS training is essential for emergency physicians (EPs) to improve patient care.
• Current residency training in POCUS varies, necessitating structured educational approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simulation case for emergency medicine residency training and American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) certification exam preparation.
• To assess competency in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for evaluating syncope and suspected pulmonary embolism (PE).
• To align training with ABEM's focus on real-time clinical reasoning and ultrasound skills.

Main Methods:

• A single-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was designed, simulating a patient with syncope and suspected PE.
• The OSCE utilized a standardized script and checklist for examiners, mirroring the ABEM certification exam format.
• Novel grading criteria were developed focusing on patient care, image acquisition, and interpretation.

Main Results:

• Initial testing indicated the case was clear, user-friendly, and valuable for exam preparation.
• Feedback from subsequent trials at the SAEM Annual Meeting led to case revisions.
• Consistently positive survey scores highlighted the case's clarity, usability, and relevance for ABEM exam prep.

Conclusions:

• The developed OSCE case effectively integrates POCUS into EM training and assessment for syncope evaluation.
• The simulation reinforces essential diagnostic reasoning and image interpretation skills for diagnosing PE.
• The positive reception supports the need for high-quality, board-style ultrasound assessments in EM training.