[High-impact ultrashort simulation-based pulmonary ultrasound training for Family Medicine residents: A prospective educational innovation study].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of an ultrashort lung ultrasound training program based on advanced clinical simulation for the acquisition of diagnostic and technical skills among Family and Community Medicine residents.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A prospective quasi-experimental pre-post study without a control group was conducted in 80 residents from the Bahía de Cádiz-La Janda Health District between October and November 2025. The 2-hour intervention included baseline assessment, a 15-minute theoretical session, supervised hands-on training using the U/S Mentor™ simulator, and immediate reassessment. Diagnostic knowledge, self-perceived confidence, technical autonomy, and examination time were analyzed. A remote follow-up assessment was performed 40 days later.

RESULTS

The proportion of residents reporting high confidence (4-5/5) increased from 11.3% to 100.0%, and the proportion achieving a high overall score in the theoretical test (4-5 correct answers) rose from 38.8% to 98.8%. All clinical cases showed significant improvement (P<.001). A total of 70.0% achieved the maximum technical performance score, and mean examination time was 188.4±50.5 s, with no differences across residency years (P=.336). At 40 days, high satisfaction and a strong perceived clinical usefulness of the technique persisted.

CONCLUSIONS

An ultrashort advanced clinical simulation-based program rapidly and consistently improves knowledge, confidence, and technical performance in lung ultrasound, and may represent a feasible educational strategy for postgraduate training.