Effectiveness of Blended E-Learning for FAST Ultrasound Training: A Comparative Study of Emergency Medical Technicians and Novice Physicians: A Prospective Observational Study

Background The potential for task shifting in prehospital emergency care has increased the demand for efficient ultrasound education for emergency medical technicians (EMTs). In this study, we aimed to determine whether EMTs without prior ultrasound certification could achieve proficiency in focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) that is noninferior to that of novice physicians, after completing a standardized blended learning program. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study comparing 20 EMTs and 20 first- and second-year residents who completed an identical blended curriculum consisting of online learning and practical phantom-based training. Performance was evaluated using a task-specific checklist (TSC) and total examination time across four sequential sessions. The primary outcome was the mean TSC score with a prespecified 5-point noninferiority margin. The secondary outcomes included learning curves and questionnaire-based evaluations. Results Across all sessions, EMTs showed TSC scores noninferior to those of residents, with 95 percent confidence intervals remaining within the noninferiority margin (all one-sided p < .001). Compared with EMTs, residents scored higher in the Douglas pouch view ( p = .002); however, other site-specific scores were comparable between the groups. Compared with residents, EMTs required longer examination times initially ( p = .003) but showed a significantly more rapid learning curve, and the two groups' examination times converged by the final session. EMTs reported higher satisfaction and greater self-efficacy regarding the online learning program than residents. Conclusions A standardized blended learning program combining online instruction with brief practical training enabled EMTs to achieve FAST proficiency that was noninferior to that of novice physicians.