A Prospective Randomized Study to Evaluate a New Learning Tool for Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of a new learning tool for needle insertion accuracy skills during a simulated ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedure. Methods. Thirty participants were included in this randomized controlled study. After viewing a prerecorded video of a single, discreet, ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia task, all participants performed the same task three consecutive times (pretest), and needle insertion accuracy skills in a phantom model were recorded as baseline. All participants were then randomized into two groups, experimental and control. The experimental group practiced the task using the new tool, designed with two video cameras, a monitor, and an ultrasound machine where the images from the ultrasound and video of hand movements are viewed simultaneously on the monitor. The control group practiced the task without using the new tool. After the practice session, both groups repeated the same task and were evaluated in the same manner as in the pretest. Results. Participants in both group groups had similar baseline characteristics with respect to previous experience with ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedures. The experimental group had significantly better needle insertion accuracy scores (P < 0.01) than the control group. Using the new learning tool, inexperienced participants had better needle insertion accuracy scores (P < 0.01) compared with experienced participants. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that the use of this new learning tool results in short-term improvement in hand-eye, motor, and basic needle insertion skills during a simulated ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia procedure vs traditional practice methods. Skill improvement was greater in novices compared with experienced participants.