Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research
Effectiveness of a multicenter training programme to teach point-of-care vascular ultrasound for the detection of peripheral arterial disease in people with diabetes
Published in: Journal of Foot and Ankle Research | Issue 1/2018
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Background
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training programme to teach a focused bedside ultrasound scan (PAD-scan; Podiatry Ankle Duplex Scan) for the detection of arterial disease in people with diabetes.
Methods
Five podiatrists and one diabetologist across two hospitals were enrolled in a structured training programme consisting of a training course (1-day), supervised scanning (5-weeks), independent scanning (3-weeks) and a final evaluation of performance (1-day).
Time, technical skills (Duplex Ultrasound Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills tool (DUOSATS); minimum score = 6, maximum score = 26) and accuracy (level of agreement with vascular scientist PAD-scan assessment) were assessed for every supervised scan and again for the final evaluation of performance.
Results
A total of 90 PAD-scans in 65 patients were performed during the supervised phase. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in median time (19 min(IQR 13.9–25.5) vs 9.3 min (IQR 7.3–10.5); p = 0.028) and DUOSATS scores (17.5 (IQR 16.8–21) vs 25 (IQR 24–25.3); p = 0.027). At the final evaluation, participants completed scans in 5.4 min (IQR 5.3–5.9), achieved full DUOSAT scores and perfect agreement with the vascular scientist.
Conclusion
A structured training programme, integrated into diabetic foot clinics, was effective in teaching the PAD-scan