Innovative transesophageal echocardiography training and competency assessment for Chinese anesthesiologists:  role of transesophageal echocardiography simulation training.
OBJECTIVE
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is playing an invaluable role in diagnosing and monitoring the patient's hemodynamics in both cardiac and noncardiac surgery. There have been many obstacles in TEE training.


RESULTS
The TEE simulation provides an ideal environment for anesthesiologists to practice their echocardiography skills out of the operation room. It consists of a manikin and a dummy probe that enable the trainees to perform a hands-on operation with echocardiographic views and allow a virtual scene consisting of a three-dimensional cardiac model, probe tip and image plane be presented side by side simultaneously.


CONCLUSIONS
The TEE simulator provides an easy comprehensive learning interface and a friendly environment without the psychological pressure and time limitation frequently experienced in the operation room. The simulator can also be used to assess and evaluate the trainees' manipulation skills, space thinking, and clinical judgment ability. TEE simulation-based training and testing can be an important part in TEE training curriculum before the trainees start their clinical training in the operation room.
Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.
Haibo
H
Song
Yong G
YG
Peng
Jin
J
Liu
D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends; D044466:Asian People; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003479:Curriculum; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008348:Manikins; D019990:Perioperative Care; D014584:User-Computer Interface