Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35291993›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2022

The impact of 3D printed models on spatial orientation in echocardiography teaching.

Christoph Salewski, Attila Nemeth, Rodrigo Sandoval Boburg, Rafal Berger, Hasan Hamdoun, Hannes Frenz, Sebastian Spintzyk, Julia Kelley Hahn, Christian Schlensak, Tobias Krüger

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Cardiac Ultrasound Training for Medical Students Utilizing Drawing and Ward-Based Instruction.MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Christoph SalewskiDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. christoph.salewski@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7155-6039
Attila NemethDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Rodrigo Sandoval BoburgDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Rafal BergerDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Hasan HamdounDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Hannes FrenzDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Sebastian SpintzykSection for Medical Material Science and Technology at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Julia Kelley HahnDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Christian SchlensakDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Tobias KrügerDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDuring our transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) courses, medical students showed difficulty in spatial orientation. We implemented the use of 3D printed cardiac models of standard TTE views PLAX, PSAX, and A4C and assessed their efficacy in TTE-teaching.

methodsOne hundred fifty-three participants were split into two groups. A pre-test-retest of anatomy, 2D -, and 3D orientation was conducted. The intervention group (n = 77) was taught using 3D models; the control group (n = 76) without. Both were comparable with respect to baseline parameters. Besides test-scores, a Likert scale recorded experiences, difficulties, and evaluation of teaching instruments.

resultsFrom the 153 students evaluated, 123 improved, 20 did worse, and ten achieved the same result after the course. The median overall pre-test score was 29 of 41 points, and the retest score was 35 (p < 0.001). However, the intervention group taught with the 3D models, scored significantly better overall (p = 0.016), and in 2D-thinking (p = 0.002) and visual thinking (p = 0.006) subtests. A backward multivariate linear regression model revealed that the 3D models are a strong individual predictor of an excellent visual thinking score. In addition, our study showed that students with difficulty in visual thinking benefited considerably from the 3D models.

conclusionStudents taught using the 3D models significantly improved when compared with conventional teaching. Students regarded the provided models as most helpful in their learning process. We advocate the implementation of 3D-printed heart models featuring the standard views for teaching echocardiography. These findings may be transferable to other evidence based medical and surgical teaching interventions.

Indexed as

Orientation, SpatialStudents, MedicalEchocardiographyHumansModels, AnatomicPrinting, Three-Dimensional3D printingCardiac surgeryCardiologyEchocardiographyTeaching echocardiography

Identifiers

PMID35291993
PMCPMC8923966

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.