Ultrasound Applications for Emergency Medical Technicians in Taiwan
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: POCUS education curriculum.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Prehospital Emergency Medical Services, Point-of-care Ultrasound. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
The Development and Assessment of the Core Ultrasound Applications for Emergency Medical Technicians in Taiwan
Overview
The goal of this prospective observational study is to develop and assess the core ultrasound applications for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Taiwan. The study focuses on advanced emergency medical technicians (EMT-Ps) and their ability to perform point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in prehospital settings. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can a standardized POCUS training program improve EMT-Ps' competency in ultrasound applications? What is the reliability and validity of the newly established POCUS assessment modules for EMT-Ps? Researchers will compare trained EMT-Ps' ultrasound proficiency and clinical decision-making before and after training to see if structured POCUS education enhances diagnostic accuracy and patient care in prehospital settings. Participants will: Attend a structured POCUS training program, including lectures and hands-on practice with standardized patients and simulation models. Undergo competency assessments, including written exams, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and image interpretation tests. Perform ultrasound scans on actual patients in prehospital settings, focusing on trauma, respiratory distress, stroke, and cardiac arrest cases. Receive feedback and participate in follow-up assessments to evaluate knowledge retention and clinical application.
Interventions
- Other POCUS education curriculum
The training includes a 4-hour curriculum consisting of a 1-hour didactic session covering ultrasound principles and key applications, followed by 3 hours of hands-on practice using standardized models or phantoms under instructor supervision. Core scanning topics include Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST), lung ultrasound for dyspnea, carotid Doppler for suspected stroke, and focused cardiac ultrasound for cardiac arrest. Post-training assessments include a written test and an
Primary outcome measures
- Ultrasound Image Quality Score for Target Structure Visualization [Time frame: From enrollment to one day after patient was sent to hospital]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Patients presenting with one of the following conditions in the prehospital setting:
Trauma Dyspnea (shortness of breath) Suspected stroke Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)
Exclusion criteria
- Patients with hemodynamic instability or critical conditions requiring immediate resuscitation, making them unsuitable for focused prehospital ultrasound performed by EMT-Ps.
- Patients under the age of 18.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- Nations JA, Browning RF. Battlefield applications for handheld ultrasound. Ultrasound Q. 2011 Sep;27(3):171-6. doi: 10.1097/RUQ.0b013e31822b7c14. PMID 21873854
- Brun PM, Chenaitia H, Gonzva J, Bessereau J, Bobbia X, Peyrol M; WINFOCUS (World Interactive Network Focused On Critical UltraSound) Group France. The value of prehospital echocardiography in shock management. Am J Emerg Med. 2013 Feb;31(2):442.e5-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2012.05.021. Epub 2012 Aug 4. No abstract available. PMID 22867834
- Fitzgibbon JB, Lovallo E, Escajeda J, Radomski MA, Martin-Gill C. Feasibility of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Ultrasound by EMS Physicians. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2019 May-Jun;23(3):297-303. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2018.1518505. Epub 2018 Oct 17. PMID 30192687
- Mercer CB, Ball M, Cash RE, Rivard MK, Chrzan K, Panchal AR. Ultrasound Use in the Prehospital Setting for Trauma: A Systematic Review. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2021 Jul-Aug;25(4):566-582. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2020.1811815. Epub 2020 Sep 17. PMID 32815755
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06950333 · 202412164RINC