title: Feasibility of eye-tracking technology to quantify expertise in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.
abstract: Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) requires an advanced procedural skill set that incorporates both sonographic knowledge of relevant anatomy as well as technical proficiency in needle manipulation in order to achieve a successful outcome. Understanding how to differentiate a novice from an expert in UGRA using a quantifiable tool may be useful for comparing educational interventions that could improve the rate at which one develops expertise. Exploring the gaze pattern of individuals performing a task has been used to evaluate expertise in many different disciplines, including medicine. However, the use of eye-tracking technology has not been previously applied to UGRA. The purpose of this preliminary study is to establish the feasibility of applying such technology as a measurement tool for comparing procedural expertise in UGRA. eye-tracking data were collected from one expert and one novice utilizing Tobii Glasses 2 while performing a simulated ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block in a gel phantom model. Area of interest fixations were recorded and heat maps of gaze fixations were created. Results suggest a potential application of eye-tracking technology in the assessment of UGRA learning and performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. kyle.harrison@stanford.edu.|Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (112A), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA. kyle.harrison@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: T Kyle
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.|Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (112A), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
authors.forename: T Edward
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.|Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (112A), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shum
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.|Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (112A), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Mariano
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.|Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue (112A), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009339:Needles; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Education; Eye tracking; Regional anesthesia; Simulation; Ultrasound; Visual attention