Ultrasound Course Development Guidelines
Assisting State Chapters
Overview:
Ultrasound at the point of care has made a major impact on the practice of Emergency Medicine.
The propagation of its use in practicing Emergency Physicians has been hindered by the
availability of initial and ongoing training. The ACEP Ultrasound section has many physicians
skilled in the use and teaching of ultrasound. However, the development of courses have been
limited to a few state chapters and proprietary courses. The accessibility quality initial and
ongoing training is paramount in the advancement of Emergency Medicine Ultrasound.
The use of state chapters to sponsor and administrate courses has been met with mixed results.
The content of the courses varies as well. The goal these guidelines is to help any state chapter
or other entity in the development, administration and execution of ultrasound courses, both for
initial training and continued training, consistent with the guidelines developed by the Ultrasound
Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
These guidelines are broken into the following sections:
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Course Proposal
Course Objectives
Sponsors
CME Accreditation
Course Instructors and Directors
Advertising
Course Administration
Basic Course Core Content
Advanced and Ongoing Course Core Content
Course Evaluation
Course Proposal
Each course should be defined by a course proposal. This proposal should define the
responsibilities of all parties involved and be secured by signatures. The specifics of the course
should be defined clearly with attention to:
1. Course Dates
2. Location
3. Registration Fees
a. Member
b. Non-member
c. Resident
4. Sponsors
5. Course Purpose
6. Course Objectives
7. Faculty
a. Course Director(s)
b. Instructors
c. Honorariums
8. Time Line
9. Course Schedule by day
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Ultrasound Course Development Guidelines
Assisting State Chapters
10. Resources needed
a. Machines
b. Models
c. Facility
d. AV Needs
e. Handouts
f. Refreshments
11. Definition of Responsibilities
a. State Chapter
b. Sponsors
c. Faculty
d. Facility
12. Evaluation Process
Timeline
Brochure
Mailed 16 weeks(four months) prior to the course to ACEP members and other
potential Attendees(all ED’s in the State, neighboring states, etc)
If course is not full, repeat mailing 8 weeks prior to course
Web Site
Advertised on ____________ ACEP’s Web site 16 weeks prior to the course
Registration
Registration open when Brochures are mailed out 16 weeks prior to the course.
Web Site set up for Registration 16 weeks prior to course.
Handouts
Submitted to __________ACEP 3 weeks prior to the course for assembly and
printing
Models
Confirmed 2 weeks prior to the course
Payments
All models and Instructors will be paid within two weeks of course completion
Course Objectives
At the completion of the course:
1. The attendee can apply basic ultrasound knowledge, physics, and knob-ology to
effectively perform EUS (emergency ultrasonography).
2. The attendee will be able to utilize EUS and enhance the diagnosis and rapid life-saving
treatment in patients who have undifferentiated hypotension.
3. The attendee will be able to use sonography to perform a F.A.S.T. exam on the adult and
pediatric trauma patient.
4. The attendee will be able to identify an intrauterine pregnancy and document the fetal
heart rate with M-Mode Ultrasound.
5. The attendee will understand the wide variety of applications of EUS and be aware of
many of the special applications such as testicular torsion, hepatobiliary disease, DVT,
abscess and other fluid drainage procedures, foreign bodies, orthopedics, eye disorders,
and other areas.
6. The attendee can describe the benefits and knowledge of using EUS to guide and direct
invasive procedures such as central line placement for improved patient safety and more
accurate and efficient completion.
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Ultrasound Course Development Guidelines
Assisting State Chapters
7. The attendee will be able to use ultrasound for a more efficient practice of Emergency
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Medicine by improving the accuracy and speed of diagnosis as well as guiding
procedures and treatment, leading to increased patient satisfaction and lives saved.
The attendee will learn the essential components of an emergency ultrasound program
and be more able to incorporate and improve EUS at their institution.
Responsibilities
Sponsors
Provide Ultrasound Machines ________ (Gel, Probes, Cleaner)
Provide Proctors for ______ Machines
Provide Snacks and Lunch
Provide Phantoms or Simulated models
Assist with locating Patient Models
Advertising
State Chapter
STATE Chapter Name_ ACEP
Obtain 16 CME Credits
Set up Conference Rooms
Provide Honorariums for Instructors/Directors
Assist with locating Patient Models
Advertising
Newsletter,
E-mail
Mailers
ACEP Conference Calendar/Web Site
_________ ACEP Web Site
Online Registration ______________ ACEP Web Site
Print Course Handout
CME Accreditation
Obtained from National ACEP through the state chapter.
Course Instructors and Directors
Faculty:
Course Director
Course Instructors
Other Sono Techs: _________
Provide Lectures and Course Materials and Content
Set up models, phantoms
Course Cost
Cost to be charged per attendant:
1. Registration Fee member __________
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Ultrasound Course Development Guidelines
Assisting State Chapters
a. Non Members ___________________
2. Registration
a. Web
b. Mail in
Advertising
State ACEP Chapter
State and National Web Site
Brochures
Course Administration
Coordinated with State ACEP Chapter, Course Directors and Sponsors
Basic Course Core Content
Advanced and Ongoing Course Core Content
Needs
Lecture Room with Projector and Computer – maximum of ______ students per class
Live Scanning capability in Lecture Room
Scanning Room with adjustable lighting. The room needs to be divided to allow for privacy
and different scanning stations.
Will have the room set up for _______ US machines (Max 5 students per machine)
*** arrange the sono machines so that the participants can actually have hands-on
scanning and simultaneously look up at the projector screen, DVDs or Videos to reinforce
with video examples
Scanning Lab Sono techs ______
Ultrasound machines _________
Optional: Have one unproctored machine for the Students to scan with.
Models
Patient Models Dependent on area of course.
Pregnant approximately ______ weeks
Vaginal Scanning models
Blue Phantom or similar Vaginal scanning Phantom
GYN
Non Pregnant
Abdominal
Normal
Peritoneal Dialysis/Ascites
Gall Stones
Aneurysm (stable, 4 – 5 cm or so)
Special Studies
DVT
Ocular
Musculoskeletal
Simulated Models
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Ultrasound Course Development Guidelines
Assisting State Chapters
Water bath
Phantoms
Turkey Breast for Foreign Body
Vascular access model (Turkey Breast, Ham Simullab , Blue Phantom or other model)
Course Evaluation
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