This article was sponsored by Philips.
A new educational app, the Arterial IVUS Tutor, has been launched to support intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) training for vascular professionals.
Developed over two years with member contributions from the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the app addresses a significant gap in physician education regarding IVUS image interpretation in the arterial space.
“This revamped and improved version of the original IVUS training tool by Philips has been long-awaited,” said Michael Wooster, MD, a contributor to the app. “It will help an entire generation of vascular care providers enhance their ability to achieve excellent patient outcomes.”
The Arterial IVUS Tutor features three disease states, 10 core modules, 40 case studies, 40 image interpretation guides and five video loops. The content focuses on peripheral arterial disease (PAD), arteriovenous access (AA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) procedures. The app offers flexible, on-the-go learning without requiring Wi-Fi for users at all experience levels.
The development process included 18 hours of global interviews with physicians and trainees. Their feedback informed the app’s intuitive design and modular structure, with features such as keyword search, bookmarking and progress tracking added based on user input.
Wooster has been passionate about implementing IVUS for most aortic and PAD procedures in his practice, primarily based on subjective observations of its benefits—improved workflow efficiency, reduced radiation exposure, and fewer acute failures, among others. “The standout of the new arterial IVUS application is the volume and breadth of clinical case examples. The original app from Volcano highlighted many key features of the IVUS platform but lacked the variety of examples that we now present,” said Wooster.
Should Philips have the tool formally peer-reviewed and a paper published, SVS may consider endorsing the tool and promoting this to a greater extent. At this time, SVS has not confirmed its role in the peer review and has not officially endorsed the app.
The app aims to support the broader adoption of IVUS technology, which improves workflow efficiency, reduces radiation exposure and enhances procedural success.
“This will hopefully mark just the beginning of widespread adoption of this technology to advance patient care. With broader adoption will come larger datasets to provide greater support for its use and increase interest in further advancing the technology,” Wooster said.
The Arterial IVUS Tutor will be available now in major app stores.