Eye, Ear, and Abdominal Examination Trainers

Project Title: Eye, Ear, and Abdominal Examination Trainers

Project Lead's Name: Emily Davie

Project Lead's Email: davieee@MiamiOH.edu

Project Lead's Phone: 513-529-8550

Project Lead's Division: EHS

Primary Department: KNH

List Departments Benefiting or Affected by this proposal: KNH

Estimated Number of Under-Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 14

Estimated Number of Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 0

Describe the problem you are attempting to solve and your approach for solving that problem: Our athletic training (AT) curriculum and individual courses are based on the educational competencies set forth by our professional organization as the minimum standard for what AT students should be taught and assessed on before graduation. A substantial number of these competencies fall within the domain of clinical evaluation and diagnosis. Currently, we do not have a method for giving our students a realistic demonstration of abnormal examination findings for the abdomen, eye, and ear. The training equipment that I am requesting funding for would allow me, as the instructor, to choose a condition such as "otitis media" for the ear, "retinal detachment" for the eye, or an "enlarged spleen" for the abdomen and the training models would present the clinical presentation consistent with those conditions. The AT student would then be able to practice identifying these conditions through the examination techniques they've been taught.

How would you describe the innovation and/or the significance of your project: The AT students are being trained to be healthcare professionals. Preparing them to recognize abnormal conditions, in some cases life-threatening, significantly impacts the student-athletes here at Miami, at off-campus affiliated sites, and the patients they will care for when they graduate and begin their careers. Not only do these electronic trainers display various disease conditions, but they also provide a safe, non-invasive way for AT students to begin using opthalmoscopes and otoscopes, as well as develop their abdominal palpation skills before attempting such techniques on a patient.

How will you assess the success of the project: Student course evaluations will be used as well as oral practical examination scores. I expect that students will feel strongly that these trainers gave them realistic examples of various disease conditions and helped them gain confidence in their examination and diagnosis skills. I also expect that students will perform better on oral practical examinations in which these skills are assessed.

Total Amount Requested: $11,379.25

Budget Details:

  • Digital eye and ear trainers: $3,296.80
  • Abdominal examination trainer: $8,082.45

Is this a multi-year request: No