Evaluation of Implementation of a National Point-of-care Ultrasound Training Program Background: Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has been shown to reduce procedure-related complications from invasive bedside procedures, reduce time to diagnosis, and reduce ancillary testing, which ultimately reduces patient radiation exposure and healthcare costs. Despite its potential advantages, POCUS has not been universally adopted in healthcare due to limited numbers of providers trained in use of POCUS. The VHA's Simulation Learning, Education and Research Network (SimLEARN) and Specialty Care Centers of Innovation (SCCOI) have launched a collaborative initiative to develop a national POCUS training program. The goal of this collaborative training program is to teach VA providers basic diagnostic and procedural applications of POCUS. The proposed project will evaluate the effectiveness of an immersive POCUS training course developed by SimLEARN on provider skill acquisition and retention, frequency of use, and identify barriers/facilitators to POCUS use at participating VHA facilities. Methods: Approximately 200 participants from a convenience sample of 15 diverse VHA facilities will participate in a 2.5-day immersive POCUS training course at the SimLEARN National Simulation Center in Orlando during fiscal year 2018. Our evaluation plan will collect data from facility Chiefs of Staff, providers from facilities participating in POCUS training, and providers from wait-listed facilities at different time points using different assessment tools: VHA Facility POCUS Survey, Provider POCUS Survey, Brief Provider POCUS Survey, Pre-/Post-course Knowledge and Skills Test, and Coding Data. Objective 1: Evaluate provider skill acquisition and retention, and frequency of POCUS use after participation in the POCUS Training Course. Pre- and post-course testing will be used to assess acquisition of knowledge and technical skills to perform POCUS exams. Post-course testing for knowledge and skill retention, and frequency of use, will be performed 6 months after the training course. Objective 2: Determine the effect of the POCUS Training Course and implementation facilitation on facility-level frequency of POCUS use. Facilities with providers that infrequently use POCUS will be eligible to participate in the POCUS Training Course. However, not all facilities will be able to be accommodated in the 1st year of the training program, requiring a facility waiting list. Facilities with providers participating in the POCUS Training Course will be compared to wait-listed facilities with regard to frequency of POCUS use. Using the Brief Provider POCUS Survey, frequency of POCUS use by providers in both participating and wait- listed facilities will be compared. Additionally, coding data will be reviewed to assess frequency of procedures performed with and without imaging guidance and procedural complication rates comparing the two groups of facilities. Objective 3: Determine provider and facility-level barriers and facilitators to POCUS use. Provider and facility-level barriers will be assessed using 3 tools: Provider POCUS Survey (trained providers), Brief Provider POCUS Survey (wait-listed and participating facilities), and Facility POCUS Survey (all facilities). Differences in barriers reported and their relationship to frequency of POCUS use will be compared. Deliverables: The primary deliverable will be report that will summarize the effect of training on provider skill acquisition and retention, frequency of use of POCUS, and barriers and facilitators to POCUS implementation. This project will guide SimLEARN's and SCCOI's efforts to develop a National POCUS Training Program and implement POCUS use nationally in the VA healthcare system. Additionally, this report may serve as a roadmap for the VHA for implementation of similar simulation-based educational innovations.
This QUERI partnered evaluation proposal will evaluate the impact of a new 2.5-day Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Training Course on provider skill acquisition and retention; the frequency of POCUS use by trained providers; and the barriers/facilitators to POCUS in the VHA. Data sources include pre- and post-course assessment tools (Provider POCUS Survey, Knowledge Test, and Skills Test), medical coding data (VHA Corporate Data Warehouse), and Course Evaluations. Providers that participate in the 2.5-day POCUS Training Course will be compared to control providers from wait-listed facilities. Additionally, participating facilities vs. wait-listed facilities for the POCUS Training Course will be compared. Findings from this project will guide ongoing efforts of our operating partners, Specialty Care Centers of Innovation (SCCOI) and the Simulation Learning and Research Network (SimLEARN), to develop a national POCUS training program and facilitate implementation of POCUS use system-wide in the VA healthcare system.
