TY  - JOUR
AU  - Hsu, Nin-Chieh
AU  -  Yang, Chih-Wei
AU  - Lin, Yu-Feng
AU  - Tsai, Hung-Bin
AU  - Liao, Charles
AU  - Ho, Chao-Chi
AU  - Yu, Chong-Jen
TI  - Point-of-care ultrasound training using near-peer training and remote Supervision: A pilot randomized controlled trial
PY  - %2026/%05/%20
Y2  - %2026/%08/%27
JF  - The Ultrasound Journal
JA  - Ultrasound J
VL  - 18
IS  - 1
SE  - Original Research Papers
DO  - 10.5826/tuj.2026.18577
UR  - https://doi.org/10.5826/tuj.2026.18577
SP  - 18577
AB  - Background and objective: Traditional point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) teaching that relies on hands-on practice faces challenges of limited scale and infection-control constraints during pandemics. We designed a low-contact curriculum integrating near-peer teaching (NPT) with faculty remote supervision (RS) and evaluated its effectiveness versus on-site faculty-led teaching.Methods: In this randomized controlled pilot trial, 69 senior medical students were assigned to NPT+RS (n=34) or faculty-led control group (n=35). Both groups received identical didactic and hands-on training, with the NPT+RS group incorporating multi-camara telemedicine supervision by the faculty to support NPT. The primary outcome was the Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA)–based Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) score with four major domains measured 1 month after training. The secondary outcomes included the technology acceptance model (TAM) survey and the OSCE feedback.Results: Total OSCE scores (74.9 vs 76.8; p=0.614) and the Indication-Acquisition-Interpretation-Medical decision domain scores did not differ between two groups. For single items, only a lower interpretation performance at the posterolateral alveolar/pleural syndrome in NPT+RS group (4.6 vs 6.5; p=0.013) was found. The NPT+RS group reported higher perceived usefulness (efficiency, usefulness, performance, productivity; all p