Training Medical Residents in the Use of the Venous Excess UltraSound (VExUS) Score for Bedside Volume Assessment.

Browse trials for

• Hyperemia 98

Keywords

• Vexus
• Venous Excess Ultrasound
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound
• POCUS
• Ultrasound Training
• Medical Education
• Volume Assessment
• Venous Congestion
• Duplex Ultrasound
• Bedside Ultrasound

Hyperemia

98 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyperemia; 44 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 23 is below the median of 68 across 51 interventional studies indexed under Hyperemia.

Lead sponsor

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern is the lead sponsor of 741 studies on the registry; 180 are open to participants now.

Study arms

• Experimental
  In-person Training

  1-hour theoretical introduction 3-hour supervised practical ultrasound session Group-based hands-on training with expert coach

  Behavioral: In-person VExUS Training Program

• Experimental
  Remote Training

  E-learning theoretical module 20 independently performed ultrasound exams Asynchronous expert feedback (phone/email)

  Behavioral: Remote VExUS Training Program

• Active comparator
  Control (Expert Physicians)

  SGUM-certified physicians performing VExUS examinations

  Other: No intervention

Interventions

• BehavioralIn-person VExUS Training Program

  In-person training consisting of a 1-hour theoretical introduction followed by a 3-hour supervised hands-on ultrasound training session focusing on acquisition and interpretation of the VExUS score.

• BehavioralRemote VExUS Training Program

  Remote training consisting of an e-learning module followed by independently performed ultrasound examinations with asynchronous expert feedback (via phone or email).

• OtherNo intervention

  SGUM-certified physicians performing VExUS examinations as expert reference standard.

Primary outcomes

1. Ultrasound Image Quality Score

   The primary outcome will be a quality score, adapted from a quality score used in a previous randomized controlled trial which investigated a simulator-based training program for transoesophageal echocardiography.11 The quality score will include items commonly used for assessment of ultrasound quality: angle and depth, overall clarity, visualization of the anatomical structures, focus, doppler gain, scale and baseline resulting in a maximum achievable quality score of 100 points. If multiple images of the predefined views are captured, each image will be rated, and the best rating will be kept to calculate the final score. If a view is missing, 0 point will be awarded for that view. All ultrasound images will be independently assessed by experts for abdominal sonography and use Doppler sonography in their daily clinical practice and are blinded to the role (resident vs. SGUM-certified physician) and training (in-person vs. remote) program of the participants.

   Time frame: From training until 6 months after completion of training

Secondary outcomes

1. Time for Image Acquisition and Interpretation

   Time required by participants to perform the ultrasound examination and interpret the images during VExUS assessment

   Time frame: From training until 6 months after completion of training

2. Change in self-confidence in performing VExUS assessment

   Self-reported confidence measured using a Likert-scale questionnaire before and after training

   Time frame: From baseline (before training) to immediately after completion of training

3. Acceptability of the program (quantitative assessment)

   Acceptability of the program will be assessed using a structured survey with 5-point Likert scale items based on an implementation framework (e.g., Theoretical Domains Framework). Results will be reported as mean scores or median values on a 5-point scale, where higher scores indicate greater acceptability.

   Time frame: Immediately after completion of training and during the outcome assessment period (within 2 months after training)

4. VEXUS score

   The Venous Excess Ultrasound Score (VExUS) is a semi-quantitative ultrasound-based score used to assess systemic venous congestion by combining inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and Doppler flow patterns of abdominal veins, including hepatic, portal, and intrarenal veins. The score ranges from 0 to 3, with 0 indicating no congestion, 1 indicating mild congestion, 2 indicating moderate congestion, and 3 indicating severe venous congestion. Higher scores indicate greater venous congestion and worse clinical status.

   Time frame: From training until 6 months after completion of training

5. Acceptability of the program (qualitative assessment)

   Acceptability, including perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation, will be explored through semi-structured interviews. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis guided by an implementation framework.

   Time frame: Immediately after completion of training and during the outcome assessment period (within 2 months after training)

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes