FoCUS cardiac ultrasound training for undergraduates based on current national guidelines: a prospective, controlled, single-center study on transferability

Table 1 Learning objectives in the FoCUS course model developed and adapted from Greim et al. [37]

Topic	Learning objectives: on completing the course, the participant should be able to:
Basic anatomy and physiology	— Describe anatomic relationships in the chest
	— Show the exact position of the heart and the positional relationship of the chambers to each other
	— Explain the physiology of blood flow and valve mechanics during systole and diastole
Physical principles, choice of transducer, and instrument buttons	— Explain the physical principles of image acquisition and ultrasound diagnosis
	— Explain the differences between the various transducers and justify the choice of transducer
	— Explain how penetration depth, image resolution, and frequency are related to each other
Patient positioning and transducer movement	— Carry out positioning variations and explain how positioning improves the ultrasound conditions
Patient positioning and transducer movement	— Understand and implement defined movement sequences (tilting, angulating, rotating, shifting, swiveling) in relation to image morphology
Examination	— Adjust the defined standard sections (PLAX; PSAX; A4K, SIVC; S4K) and explain the plane
	— List the possible questions that can be answered by setting the respective plane
	— Describe the possible transducer movements and buttons available to optimize the planes

ISSN: 1472-6920