Point of care ultrasound training needs for primary care physicians: Practice setting matters

Abstract

Background Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly used in primary care. This study seeks to determine the educational needs of primary care physicians. Methods All primary care practitioners in Calgary, Alberta, on the electronic departmental newsletter distribution list were invited to participate in an online survey. Interests in learning 25 POCUS applications and 9 procedures were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Results Of the 1394 members on the distribution list, 96 responded. Of these, 88 completed the survey. The majority of the participants (n=69, 78%) were office-based while 19 (21%) were hospital-based. The top applications for office-based participants included: 1) confirming fetal heart rate, 2) assessing fetal lie, and 3) confirming intrauterine pregnancy. For hospital-based participants, these were: 1) assessing soft tissue/superficial abscesses, 2) looking for ascites, and 3) confirming volume status of the patient. Of the 75 participants who perform procedures, both office- and hospital-based participants were most interested in learning incision and drainage for superficial abscesses and joint aspirations/injections; other procedural interests significantly differed between the two groups. Conclusions Interests of office-based primary care practitioners in learning POCUS differed significantly from hospital-based practitioners. We recommend that separate office vs. hospital practice streams be offered to address their educational needs.