Validation of a Newly Developed Assessment Tool for Point-of-Care Ultrasound of the Thorax in Healthy Volunteers (VALPOCUS).

IF 2.2 4区医学 Q2 RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING

Tomography Pub Date : 2025-08-26 DOI:10.3390/tomography11090097

Patrick Hoffmann, Tobias Hüppe, Nicolas Poncelet, Julius J Weise, Ulrich Berwanger, David Conrad

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an integral part of emergency, intensive care, and perioperative medicine. However, the training and subsequent evaluation of POCUS users are still not standardized. The aim of the study was to develop and validate an assessment tool for POCUS users.

Methods: After reviewing the existing literature and a multi-stage expert survey (Delphi method), consensus on twelve items for the assessment tool was reached. To validate the assessment tool, a group of volunteer doctors and medical students performed a POCUS examination using simple linear probe and more complex sector probe techniques. The examination was evaluated by two independent assessors using the created assessment tool. Then, four experts evaluated anonymized recordings of the examinations. We tested the reliability and validity, including internal consistency.

Results: A total of 70 examinations were included. Of these, 19 examinations were carried out by physicians and 51 by medical students. A high inter-rater reliability (Cohen's kappa 0.78 (linear weighted; SEM 0.37; p < 0.001) and Krippendorff's alpha 0.895) was shown for the evaluation tool. To improve discriminative power and strengthen reliability, the assessment tool was modified using Cronbach's alpha. Modification resulted in the removal of three items (patient positioning, ultrasound mode selection, and probe selection) from the tool. The mean values of instrument and expert ratings were now 2.62% apart (46.90% instrument vs. 44.29% expert). Pearson's correlation coefficient between tool and expert ratings showed moderate to high validity (r = 0.69; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The new assessment tool is highly reliable and a valid tool for assessing POCUS skills. It holds strong potential for integration into medical education and training to objectify ultrasound skills. Further studies are required to investigate discriminatory power and transferability to other POCUS algorithms.

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一种新开发的健康志愿者胸部即时超声评估工具（VALPOCUS）的验证。

目的：即时超声（POCUS）已成为急诊、重症监护和围手术期医学的重要组成部分。但是，POCUS用户的培训和后续评价仍然没有标准化。这项研究的目的是为POCUS用户开发和验证一种评估工具。方法：通过文献回顾和多阶段专家调查（德尔菲法），对评估工具的12个项目达成共识。为了验证评估工具，一组志愿医生和医学生使用简单的线性探针和更复杂的扇形探针技术进行了POCUS检查。考试由两名独立的评估人员使用创建的评估工具进行评估。然后，四位专家评估了匿名的考试录音。我们测试了信度和效度，包括内部一致性。结果：共纳入70项检查。其中，19项检查由医生进行，51项由医学生进行。评估工具具有较高的信度（Cohen's kappa 0.78（线性加权；SEM 0.37; p < 0.001）和Krippendorff's alpha 0.895）。为了提高判别能力和增强信度，评估工具采用Cronbach's alpha进行了改进。修改导致从工具中删除了三个项目（患者定位，超声模式选择和探头选择）。仪器评分与专家评分的平均值相差2.62%（仪器评分46.90% vs专家评分44.29%）。工具评分和专家评分之间的Pearson相关系数显示中等到高的效度（r = 0.69; p < 0.001）。结论：新的评估工具具有较高的可靠性，是评估POCUS技能的有效工具。它具有很强的潜力，可以整合到医学教育和培训中，使超声技能客观化。需要进一步的研究来调查歧视权力和转移到其他POCUS算法。

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来源期刊

Tomography Medicine-Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

CiteScore

2.70

自引率

10.50%

发文量

222

期刊介绍： TomographyTM publishes basic (technical and pre-clinical) and clinical scientific articles which involve the advancement of imaging technologies. Tomography encompasses studies that use single or multiple imaging modalities including for example CT, US, PET, SPECT, MR and hyperpolarization technologies, as well as optical modalities (i.e. bioluminescence, photoacoustic, endomicroscopy, fiber optic imaging and optical computed tomography) in basic sciences, engineering, preclinical and clinical medicine. Tomography also welcomes studies involving exploration and refinement of contrast mechanisms and image-derived metrics within and across modalities toward the development of novel imaging probes for image-based feedback and intervention. The use of imaging in biology and medicine provides unparalleled opportunities to noninvasively interrogate tissues to obtain real-time dynamic and quantitative information required for diagnosis and response to interventions and to follow evolving pathological conditions. As multi-modal studies and the complexities of imaging technologies themselves are ever increasing to provide advanced information to scientists and clinicians. Tomography provides a unique publication venue allowing investigators the opportunity to more precisely communicate integrated findings related to the diverse and heterogeneous features associated with underlying anatomical, physiological, functional, metabolic and molecular genetic activities of normal and diseased tissue. Thus Tomography publishes peer-reviewed articles which involve the broad use of imaging of any tissue and disease type including both preclinical and clinical investigations. In addition, hardware/software along with chemical and molecular probe advances are welcome as they are deemed to significantly contribute towards the long-term goal of improving the overall impact of imaging on scientific and clinical discovery.