Table 4 Selection of articles showing the use and effect of tele-ultrasound
From: Offshore telementored ultrasound: a quality assessment study
References | Study design | Type of equipment | No of scans performed | Protocols/anatomy scanned | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dyer et al. [49] | Pilot study | Sonix OP Bidirectional videoconference system | 20 | FAST e-FAST | Installing a tele-ultrasound system for major trauma cases was found to be technically and clinically feasible. The remote expert was able to diagnose pathology with FAST and e-FAST. The technology was also found to enhance ultrasound education and occasionally facilitated important clinical decision-making |
Mc Beth et al. [48] | Case series | Sonosite 180 Head camera Laptop w/Skype | N/A | e-FAST | With the use of basic, low-cost cellular networks, it is possible to conduct telementored trauma sonography and produce images of excellent diagnostic quality |
Biegler et al. [17] | Feasibility study | Sonosite NanoMaxx Head camera Computer w/Skype | 26 | Lung | Ultrasound together with simple informatics technologies permits remote telementored ultrasonography as long as internet is available. An ultrasound expert could guide a novice ultrasound user in performing lung ultrasound for detection of pneumothorax post-chest tube removal |
Mc Beth et al. [46] | Feasibility study | Sonosite NanoMaxx Head camera Laptop | 90 | FAST e-FAST | A remote telementored ultrasound system was easy to implement, and with wireless internet, allowed a remote expert to instruct a novice user to obtain diagnostic images for interpretation |
Kolbe et al. [22] | Pilot study | Sonosite Titan Laptop w/Skype | 132 | Foetus/pregnancy Abdomen | Local practitioners in rural areas can, after didactic training, perform POCUS under teleguidance. The implementation of POCUS in a rural village led to a change in management of about half of the patients scanned |
Robertson et al. [47] | Feasibility study | Sonosite M-turbo Apple iPhone Apple MacBook Pro | 63 | Internal jugular vein, lung, heart, bladder | Low-cost commercially available equipment can be used for real-time mentored acquisition and interpretation of high-quality US images that are clinically useful |
Olivieri et al. [45] | Pilot study | Sonosite X-porte Tele-ICU program w/camera | 40 | Heart Lung | After a 60-min training session, a remotely located tele-intensivist could guide a novice US user in performing heart and lung ultrasound. Remote telementored ultrasound could be used to evaluate patients in respiratory failure and/or shock in situations where US-proficient providers are not available at the bedside |