Visual Augmentations for Ultrasound Assessment Training of Medical Students

Ultrasound assessments are key in assessing traumatic injuries to the human body during urgent medical emergencies. Obtaining profciency in conducting ultrasound assessments is challenging, and relies on hands-on, individually instructed training provided by a scarce number of ultrasound experts. We investigate how to support medical students' learning of ultrasound assessment through visual augmentations. By enhancing the learning process, we seek to support medical students in reaching higher profciency in ultrasound assessments. We followed an ultrasound assessment course to identify the primary challenges faced by medical students learning to conduct ultrasound assessments. Based on our fndings, we designed four distinct visual augmentations in collaboration with a course educator that guide students in achieving better ultrasound image quality. We evaluated these visual augmentations in a mixed-method study with 15 medical students. Our fndings provide insights on the use of digital technology in supporting clinical training, and the possibilities of bridging existing training practices.

• Human-centered computing → Human computer interaction (HCI); HCI design and evaluation methods; • Applied computing → Health informatics.