3-D modeling applications in ultrasound education: a systematic review

Ultrasound offers a real-time 2-D view of structures within the human body. While many medical education programs have already dedicated a portion of their curriculum to ultrasound, others are concerned about cost, accessibility and limits to student practice. Student benefit may be affected by cognitive errors, which are in part owing to the mental heuristics required to visualize a 3-D structure by interpreting a 2-D image. A possible solution to eliminating subjectivity in ultrasound interpretation is the use of 3-D models to augment the traditional 2-D ultrasound experience. PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched for primary literature exploring relationships between 3-D modeling applications and their use in ultrasound education. The search and review process was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Overall, 14 of the included 16 studies indicated a significant improvement in medical education of ultrasound with the intervention of 3-D modeling applications. This systematic review confirms that 3-D modeling applications benefit student learning in ultrasound education while illuminating the need for more research in this field.