Current use and training needs of point-of-care ultrasound in emergency departments: A national survey of VA hospitals

AbstractOver the past few decades, point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has come to play a major role in the practice of emergency medicine. Despite its numerous benefits, there has been a slow uptake of PoCUS use in rural emergency departments. Surveys conducted across Canada and the United States have identified a lack of equipment, training, funding, quality assurance, and an inability to maintain skills as major barriers to PoCUS use. Potential solutions include expanding residency training in ultrasound skills, extending funding for PoCUS training to rural physicians in practice, moving PoCUS training courses to rural sites, and creating telesonography training for rural physicians. With these barriers identified and solutions proposed, corrective measures must be taken so that the benefits of PoCUS are extended to patients in rural Canada where, arguably, it has the greatest potential for benefit when access to advanced imaging is not readily available.

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Education and simulation in point-of-care ultrasound

Point of Care Ultrasound for Emergency Medicine and Resuscitation ◽

10.1093/med/9780198777540.003.0010 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 203-215

Author(s):

Paul Olszynski ◽

Melanie Stander ◽

Tim Harris ◽

Mark Tutschka ◽

Paul Atkinson

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Skills Training ◽

Training Needs ◽

Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽

High Fidelity ◽

High Fidelity Simulation ◽

Clinical Integration ◽

Educational Methods ◽

The Common

This chapter deals with some of the common questions surrounding training in point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS)—how does a clinician achieve competence in PoCUS? What educational methods are the most appropriate for PoCUS? What applications should be taught? How can advanced skills be learnt? How can quality be assured and improved? How can low- and high-fidelity simulation help with skills training and maintenance and confidence building, as well as clinical integration and decision-making? Technology is evolving, advancing, and adapting to training needs. While there may be no universally accepted curriculum for training and assessment, a consensus is forming around core theories and practices.

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Incorporating point-of-care ultrasound into daily intensive care unit rounds: Another source of interruptions?

Journal of the Intensive Care Society ◽

10.1177/1751143718816913 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 18-21

Author(s):

O Olusanya ◽

AVK Wong ◽

J Kirk-Bayley ◽

P Parulekar

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Critical Care ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Online Survey ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Point Of Care Ultrasound ◽

Clinical Decisions ◽

Bedside Ultrasonography ◽

Ward Rounds ◽

And Training

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is the use of bedside ultrasonography by the treating clinician, incorporating those images into direct clinical decisions. While there are a number of different techniques and training pathways in this relatively new modality, there has been little discussion around the logistics of integrating POCUS into the standard critical care “business day” of ward rounds, procedures and meetings. This article explores some of these aspects and presents data from an online survey of POCUS practitioners.

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