Preparing Family Medicine Faculty for POCUS Training

Even though there are still doubts on whether Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) will eventually replace the stethoscope completely in the future, evidence is mounting that POCUS is as a disruptive technology, facilitation... [ view full abstract ]

Even though there are still doubts on whether Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) will eventually replace the stethoscope completely in the future, evidence is mounting that POCUS is as a disruptive technology, facilitation prompt and accurate diagnosis as well as improving procedural outcomes in all major medical specialties. POCUS has an especially broad array of applications in Family Medicine that include obstetric care, musculoskeletal assessment, critical care, vascular access, pain management, soft tissue infection and mass detection, etc. It is a versatile tool that can expand our capability to detect disease processes beyond the reach of our five senses and the stethoscope.

This presentation shares our experience with the participants on our POCUS journey, and focus on faculty engagement and development for a POCUS program in an academic Family Medicine Department. We will discuss the needs assessment, strategies to enhance faculty engagement, and secure ongoing faculty support as well as our past challenges and present difficulties. The use of POCUS in Family Medicine is just at its infant stage. Medical ultrasonography is less than seventy years old and POCUS is even much younger. Several non-radiology specialties like Obstetrics/Gynecology, cardiology, surgery, emergency medicine and critical care have taken the lead on this field but Family Medicine has been lagging behind. A 2015 national survey of Family Medicine Residency Program Directors by Dr. Hall and his colleague in 2015 shows only 2.2% of respondents reported an established POCUS curriculum; about nearly 40% indicated no plans for POCUS.

Several obstacles may hinder the POCUS utilization in the Family Medicine setting. These include point of care access to ultrasound machine, reimbursement issue, time availability as well as faculty who lack appropriate training and fear of making errors as they attempt to master this new skill. The shortage of appropriately trained faculty is the major barrier to brining POCUS programs to Family Medicine residency programs. In this presentation we will share our experiences in mobilizing and engaging Family Medicine faculty to bring a POCUS program to a Family Medicine residency. This presentation will bring educators together who are interested in POCUS in primary care to discuss our roles in ongoing POCUS development.