Background Supervising ultrasound (US) examinations in emergency settings means time-sensitive
decision-making to ensure accuracy for the critically ill, with the rare ressource
of attending physicians often representing a bottleneck. We evaluate the usability
of a live tele-supervision workflow for radiology residents performing bedside US
in critical care.
Methods We implemented a proprietary system enabling real-time simultaneous US screen capture
and webcam streaming of the examined patient region, into our US workflow used for
critical care settings (i.e., bedside US at emergency department and intensive care
units). The system was adapted allowing seamless live-stream integration into a web
meeting call operated by headset. Attendings remotely observed residents' examinations
and provided real-time instructions. The system was piloted in 50 cases across the
spectrum of our services. Metrics of diagnostic performance, resident confidence,
and workflow efficiency were recorded and compared to 50 control cases without tele
supervision. Resident and attending satisfaction were assessed via surveys.
Results Preliminary results revealed tele-supervised examinations to significantly improve
diagnostic accuracy and work efficiency (p<0.05) by simultaneously increasing teaching
quality as observed by residents (p<0.05). Attendings rated remote supervision as
comparable to in-person guidance. No adverse events or workflow flaws were reported.
Conclusion Live tele-supervision has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and
accuracy of bedside and distant ultrasound examinations performed by residents, with
high levels of satisfaction among both residents and attending radiologists. This
approach has the potential to transform ultrasound training and patient care in remote
or resource-limited environments, ensuring timely and accurate diagnoses. Future work
will focus on scaling this system for broader clinical applications.
