The SCAN^®
(Sonography Clinical Assessment Notebook)

Developed and Presented by the SDMS Educational Foundation

Development

The quest for standardization in sonography clinical education has been a subject of much discussion and concern as ultrasound continues its growth and importance in the medical community. The SDMS Educational Foundation brought together clinical sonographers, vascular technologists and educators from across the country to develop a standardized national method to measure sonography clinical skills. The result was The SCAN^® which is flexible in design, comprehensive in its coverage of examinations and skills, and useful in a variety of educational and clinical settings.

Introduced in 1999, The SCAN^® was immediately popular with educators and employers alike. The initial version, released in the fall of 1999, was distributed as a test edition with a comprehensive survey distributed in March 2000. The results of those evaluations were carefully studied and updates and revisions were made to facilitate the ease of use and value of The SCAN^® as an important tool for sonography. The SDMS Educational Foundation, which was founded on the principle of the availability of quality ultrasound educational opportunities, is proud to add The SCAN^® to its available products and programs.

1. The SCAN^® offers educators an evaluation tool that clearly and precisely pinpoints key areas of competency. With The SCAN^® , the educator will spend less time developing evaluations and grading elements, and more time in the most important process, teaching sonography.
2. Once The SCAN^® has been completed by both the student and the supervising sonographer, the student has a record of his/her entire training process. What better way to demonstrate competency to a prospective employer?
3. Employers too are offered a unique instrument in The SCAN^®, which can be utilized to evaluate employee skill level. The SCAN^® presents an employer with a set of competencies which can quickly target areas requiring improvement and it will also demonstrate areas in which the employee excels.
4. You can be assured the information being presented in The SCAN^® is up to date and evocative of the skills required for sonographers. The system will be evaluated annually for updates and new information will be added as needed.
5. The SCAN^® is the first comprehensive, nationally standardized tool to systematically answer that very important question, "Can she (he) scan?" If you want to be sure your employees or your graduates can meet the needs of patients and physicians utilizing your sonography, echocardiography, or vascular services, The SCAN^® is the evaluation method of choice.