Training Program for Emergency Department Advanced Practice Providers on Cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Improve Clinical Skills and Patient Care

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the knowledge and technical skills of emergency medicine advanced practice providers APPs in performing cardiac point-of-care ultrasound POCUS through a simulation and just-in-time training pathway. The goal is to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of this ultrasound training program and develop a standardized model that could help improve POCUS clinical performance and patient care. Participants will undergo a cardiac POCUS simulation session followed by a hands-on observed structured clinical skill exam led by ultrasound-trained faculty. After training, APPs will perform POCUS during standard clinical care under the supervision of emergency medicine attending physicians. The study includes surveys and interviews before training, immediately after, and six months later to assess the programs impact. Throughout the study, participants will complete knowledge and skill assessments as well as surveys and semi-structured interviews to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the training. Researchers will measure outcomes such as the educational and clinical impact of the training on POCUS use, image quality, diagnostic accuracy, and related clinical metrics over 1 to 2 years at each study site. The total participation duration varies with ongoing staffing needs and training assessments.

Cardiac point-of Care Ultrasound Training Pathway for Emergency Department Advanced Practice Providers