Efficacy of computer-based video and simulation in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia training

Study Objective To determine the effectiveness of a short educational video and simulation on improvement of ultrasound (US) image acquisition and interpretation skills. Design Prospective, randomized study. Setting University medical center. Subjects 28 anesthesia residents and community anesthesiologists with varied ultrasound experience were randomized to teaching video with interactive simulation or sham video groups. Subjects Participants were assessed preintervention and postintervention on their ability to identify the sciatic nerve and other anatomic structures on static US images, as well as their ability to locate the sciatic nerve with US on live models. Main Results Pretest written test scores correlated with reported US block experience (Kendall tau rank r = 0.47) and with live US scanning scores (r = 0.64). The teaching video and simulation significantly improved scores on the written examination (P < 0.001); however, they did not significantly improve live US scanning skills. Conclusions A short educational video with interactive simulation significantly improved knowledge of US anatomy, but failed to improve hands-on performance of US scanning to localize the nerve.