Impact of Point of Care Ultrasound Rotation on Single Saudi Emergency Medicine Program, Longitudinal Prospective Study.

Abstract

Background: Emergency ultrasound (EUS) has become an essential component of patient care and a mandatory skill for emergency medicine (EM) residents. Since 2001, major EM organizations have released guidelines mandating the integration of bedside ultrasonography into EM practice. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the ultrasound knowledge of emergency residents and their progress by conducting a survey before and after their EUS rotation. Method: This longitudinal prospective study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to investigate the improvement in knowledge, interpretation accuracy, and clinical decision-making based on ultrasound findings. The study included first-year residents who joined the EM residency program in 2023. The research team collected data by administering a pre-test and post-test. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the participants' scores on pre-tests and post-tests to evaluate individual differences. Results: We analyzed data from 12 residents. Half of them had received ultrasound training, and half of them used ultrasound on a daily basis. Regarding the perceived barriers to ultrasound training, the most commonly reported barriers were a lack of training (75.0%) and a lack of equipment (41.7%). All of the residents under the study anticipated the use of ultrasound in their clinical practice. The mean knowledge score of the pre-rotation period was 13.8 ± 2.6, whereas the mean post-rotation score was 17.3 ± 1.6. There was a significant increase in the knowledge score from the pre- to the post-rotation period (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our study has highlighted the significant benefits of the EUS rotation, including increased confidence in using ultrasound as a diagnostic tool and an enriched educational experience. EUS rotation provides residents with the hands-on experience they need to become proficient in image acquisition, interpretation, and the clinical application of these findings.