Volume 2 Issue 4 | 2025 | View PDF
Paper Id:IJMSM-V2I4P121
doi: 10.71141/30485037/V2I4P121

Feasibility of Incorporating the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) Scan as Part of Undergraduate Medical Education

Rosdara Masayuni bt Mohd Sani, Nisha Angela Dominic, Keith Tan Jian Li, Wang Hong Jing, Jocelyn Teo Jia Qi, Muhammad Aiman bin Zulkifli

Citation:
Rosdara Masayuni bt Mohd Sani, Nisha Angela Dominic, Keith Tan Jian Li, Wang Hong Jing, Jocelyn Teo Jia Qi, Muhammad Aiman bin Zulkifli, "Feasibility of Incorporating the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) Scan as Part of Undergraduate Medical Education" International Journal of Multidisciplinary on Science and Management, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 196-206, 2025.

Abstract:
Introduction: The utilisation of focused ultrasound, particularly the Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) scan, has become increasingly significant in emergency departments (ED) worldwide. The FAST scan is a rapid bedside ultrasound examination performed by healthcare providers to identify internal bleeding or other traumatic injuries. Evaluating the feasibility of incorporating ultrasound training into undergraduate medical curricula is essential to understand its educational benefits and associated challenges. Methods: By utilising databases such as Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed, we searched for articles by using keywords that included "(Medical Undergraduates OR Medical Students) AND (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma)". The advanced search tool was tweaked to only reveal results published between the years 2014 and 2024. Results: Through feedback evaluation via questionnaires, all 9 selected studies mentioned in this literature review have highlighted that the integration of FAST scan into the medical undergraduate program is indeed feasible. All the studies have consistently displayed positive feedback from both students and tutors in terms of satisfaction, interest and confidence levels. Conclusion: In conclusion, teaching undergraduates FAST scanning is a feasible goal that medical students value for its practical benefits. Feedback from various studies consistently shows high student satisfaction with these training sessions, emphasising their effectiveness in improving ultrasound skills and enriching the educational experience. Moving forward, addressing limited equipment access and clinical exposure variability is crucial for improving ultrasound training quality and consistency among medical students.

Keywords: Diagnostic Accuracy, Emergency Department, Musculoskeletal, Occult Fracture, Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

References:
1. G. S. Rozycki, R. B. Ballard, D. V. Feliciano, J. A. Schmidt, and S. D. Pennington, “Surgeon-Performed Ultrasound for the Assessment of Truncal Injuries: Lessons Learned From 1540 Patients,” Annals of Surgery, vol. 228, no. 4, pp. 557–567, 1998.
2. C. L. Moore and J. A. Copel, “Point-of-Care Ultrasonography,” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 364, no. 8, pp. 749–757, 2011.
3. U. Blackstock, J. Munson, and D. Szyld, “Bedside Ultrasound Curriculum for Medical Students: Report of a Blended Learning Curriculum Implementation and Validation,” Journal of Clinical Ultrasound, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 139–144, 2015.
4. P. Gogalniceanu, Y. Sheena, E. Kashef, S. Purkayastha, A. Darzi, and P. Paraskeva, “Is Basic Emergency Ultrasound Training Feasible as Part of Standard Undergraduate Medical Education?” Journal of Surgical Education, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 152–156, 2010.
5. U. K. M. Teichgräber, J. M. A. Meyer, C. P. Nautrup, and D. B. von Rautenfeld, “Ultrasound Anatomy: A Practical Teaching System in Human Gross Anatomy,” Medical Education, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 296–298, 1996.
6. C. F. Dietrich et al., “Point of Care Ultrasound: A WFUMB Position Paper,” Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 49–58, 2017.
7. R. A. Hoppmann et al., “The Evolution of an Integrated Ultrasound Curriculum (iUSC) for Medical Students: 9-Year Experience,” Critical Ultrasound Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 18, 2015.
8. S. D. Solomon and F. Saldana, “Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Medical Education: Stop Listening and Look,” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 370, no. 12, pp. 1083–1085, 2014.
9. T. Cook, P. Hunt, and R. Hoppmann, “Emergency Medicine Leads the Way for Training Medical Students in Clinician-Based Ultrasound: A Radical Paradigm Shift in Patient Imaging,” Academic Emergency Medicine, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 558–561, 2007.
10. N. Celebi et al., “Development and Implementation of a Comprehensive Ultrasound Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Students: A Feasibility Study,” BMC Medical Education, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 170, 2019.
11. S. Limchareon, N. Asawaworarit, W. Klinwichit, and P. Dinchuthai, “Development of the Ultrasonography Learning Model for Undergraduate Medical Students: A Case Study of the Faculty of Medicine, Burapha University,” Journal of the Chinese Medical Association, vol. 79, no. 8, pp. 445–449, 2016.
12. M. Chilstrom and S. Beck, “Impact of a One-Day Course on Medical Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Comfort With Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Procedures,” Australasian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 200–205, 2019.
13. B. Coiffier et al., “Introducing Point-of-Care Ultrasound Through Structured Multifaceted Ultrasound Module in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum at the University of Hong Kong,” Ultrasound, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 38–46, 2020.
14. A. Vanichkulbodee, P. C. Inboriboon, A. H. Balk, and J. Sri-on, “Perception of an Introductory Point-of-Care Ultrasound Course for Thai Medical Students on Emergency Medicine Rotation,” Open Access Emergency Medicine, vol. 13, pp. 291–298, 2021.
15. J. Dickerson, K. Paul, P. Vila, and R. Whiticar, “The Role for Peer-Assisted Ultrasound Teaching in Medical School,” Clinical Teacher, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 170–174, 2017.
16. J. Ang, B. Doyle, P. Allen, and C. Cheek, “Teaching Bedside Ultrasound to Medical Students,” Clinical Teacher, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 331–335, 2018.
17. C. Krause, R. Krause, R. Krause, N. Gomez, Z. Jafry, and V. A. Dinh, “Effectiveness of a 1-Hour Extended Focused Assessment With Sonography in Trauma Session in the Medical Student Surgery Clerkship,” Journal of Surgical Education, vol. 74, no. 6, pp. 968–974, 2017.
18. A. Goodcoff, D. Keane, A. Bialczak, E. Ziner, and J. B. Hanna, “Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Integration in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Student-Driven Approach,” Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, vol. 119, no. 3, pp. e11–e16, 2019.
19. G. Via et al., “International Evidence-Based Recommendations for Focused Cardiac Ultrasound,” Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 683.e1–683.e33, 2014.
20. G. Volpicelli et al., “International Evidence-Based Recommendations for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound,” Intensive Care Medicine, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 577–591, 2012.
21. D. R. Hughes, E. Kube, B. D. Gable, F. E. Madore, and D. P. Bahner, “The Sonographic Digital Portfolio: A Longitudinal Ultrasound Image Tracking Program,” Critical Ultrasound Journal, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 15, 2012.