Low-Cost homemade Agar-Based phantoms for Ultrasound-Guided procedure Training: A randomized educational trial.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of low-cost homemade agar-based phantoms compared to commercial models in enhancing ultrasound-guided procedure training among interventional radiology residents. The study found that participants' self-reported confidence increased significantly from 3.7 to 6.2 out of 10, confirming the non-inferiority of agar-based models (p = 0.04).

Key findings

• Self-reported confidence increased from 3.7 ± 2.4 to 6.2 ± 1.7 out of 10 (+2.5 points; p < 0.01).
• Procedure time improved by 135 ± 174 seconds (p < 0.01).
• The number of punctures decreased by 0.6 ± 0.7 (p = 0.04).
• Participants rated satisfaction with agar models at 8.9 ± 1.3 out of 10.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that low-cost training models can effectively enhance the confidence and performance of trainees in ultrasound-guided procedures, potentially making training more accessible and affordable.