TrainR4U

Abstract

Ultrasound is often the first line of imaging used in a patient's diagnostic journey. Ultrasound training is part of the formal training in some medical specialities; however, there are usually no standards for the training of general practitioners and many practitioners do not have adequate experience. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), training is a priority, as a significant benefit in healthcare will result from improved skills in performing and interpreting ultrasound examinations. Educational offers are often limited and no standardised curriculum has been defined to guarantee mastery of minimum competences.

The project TrainR4U created a new approach to provide standardised, high-quality professional medical training in abdominal ultrasound. TrainR4U is a robot-assisted blended learning programme in abdominal ultrasound aiming to improve the skills of physicians to provide more effective, safer, and faster abdominal ultrasounds. Therefore, TrainR4U will extend e-learning tools with an additional degree of interaction (practical training with expert feedback) to improve skills acquisition. The main outcome will be an increase in the number of professionals trained in ultrasound examinations, able to provide better, safer and more accurate care.