Utilizing Simulation as a Means to Teach Diagnostic Medical Sonography: A Multi-Site Discipline-Based Educational Research Project

Objective: This discipline-based educational research (DBER) project was designed to longitudinally study the influence of high-fidelity computer-based sonography simulators (HFCBSSs) on student learning. The research question was: Can the implementation of HFCBSS improve clinical skills for sonography students, beyond traditional methods? Materials and Methods: HFCBSSs were shipped to three educational sites for implementation. A quasi-experimental design was utilized across the three educational sites. Educational materials, simulator guides, and assessment templates were developed for implementation. The educational sites revised their standard curricula to allow for students to develop skills with HFCBSS, low-fidelity simulation (e.g. phantoms), and sonographic evaluation of peer classmates. A control group of graduating sonography students was assessed having no HFCBSS experience. Those assessment scores were used as an educational threshold. Successive cohorts of students across the educational sites were assessed as they progressed through their first year. Results: First-year sonography students, exposed to the revised simulation curricula, demonstrated higher median assessment scores, on most sonographic examinations, than the control-group student scores. Those student cohorts that were exposed to the revised simulation curricula but demonstrated a lower median assessment score were remediated to make sure they were ready for clinical placement. Students, across all three educational sites, rated their experience with the HFCBSS as second only to gaining patient examinations in their sonography clinical placements. Conclusion: This educational research project spanned three educational sites, with varied curricula, but it did demonstrate HFCBSS is a useful and effective educational tool. It also demonstrated how preclinical sonographic skill assessments can ensure students get lab-based remediation prior to clinical placement. These results are exclusive to this cohort and should be replicated at other sites, for concurrence.