Point-of-Care Ultrasound as a Pedagogical Tool: Effects on Visuospatial and Radiologic Interpretation Skills in a Randomized Study.

BACKGROUND

Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is increasingly integrated into clinical practice and medical curriculum, with potential educational benefits beyond sonographic skill acquisition. This randomized study evaluated whether a short PoCUS training program could improve medical students' ability to interpret cross-sectional images.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized post-test study at Université Paris Cité. Final-year medical students (n = 417) participated in a PoCUS course consisting of three half-day hands-on ultrasound practice on peers sessions. Students were randomized into a pretest or post-test group to complete a 37-item survey assessing five cognitive domains: visuospatial ability, anatomical knowledge, spatial orientation, anatomical relationships, and pathology recognition. Items covered three imaging modalities (ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) and four anatomical regions. Scores were expressed as accuracies (%). Statistical comparisons used univariate models and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Post-test participants achieved significantly higher total scores than pre-test participants (median 76/100 vs. 73/100, P = 0.015), with improvements in anatomical knowledge (P = 0.013), spatial orientation (P = 0.005), and ultrasound-related items (P < 0.001). Enhanced performance was observed in cardiac anatomy questions (P = 0.005). A correlation was found between visuospatial ability and total performance (ρ = 0.17, P = 0.0006), and gender had a significant impact on scores, with male students performing better than female students (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

PoCUS training enhances medical students' understanding of cross-sectional anatomy and multimodal image interpretation, with effects mediated by visuospatial abilities. It represents a valuable pedagogical approach in the context of the expanded role of imaging in medical education and clinical practice.