A recent clinical study has found that adding HeartWorks TEE (transesophagael echocardiography) simulators to training can improve novices’ ability to perform focused critical care TEE.

MedaPhor make the HeartWorks TEE simulator. They report the study, conducted by the University of Bern, took forty four intensive care unit trainees and randomly split them into two groups. One group receiving four hours of lecture-based training and another trained for an additional four hours using a HeartWorks TEE simulator.

After the training, each group was asked to perform two TEE examinations on intensive care unit patients, which were evaluated by blinded assessors and a score rating of 0-100, which was compared with expert data.

It was concluded that the addition of simulation training using a HeartWorks TEE simulator improved a novice’s ability to perform focused critical care TEE. After just eighty hours of combined lecture and HeartWorks TEE simulator training, the majority of TEE scans taken by the trainees were of sufficient quality for clinical use.

The study is published in Anesthesia and Analgesia.