Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training: An Assessment of Interns' Needs and Barriers to Training.

Waleed Jarwan,Yousuf M Kharal,Rajkumar Rajendram,Abdullah A Alshamrani,Arif Hussain,Naveed Mahmood,Afnan Alghamdi

doi:10.7759/cureus.11209

Abstract

Background and objectiveThe use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is generally on the rise worldwide. However, as the epidemiology of diseases and the approach to their management vary internationally, POCUS may not be universally applicable. The resources available for medical education are generally limited. Thus, when considering the development of a training program during the internship year, we sought to determine interns' perceptions of the applicability of POCUS to clinical practice, the current skill gaps, and barriers to training.Methods A validated questionnaire was distributed to the interns of the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh to determine their proficiency in POCUS, and their opinions on its applicability on a 5-point Likert scale. Each skill gap was calculated by subtracting self-reported proficiency in POCUS from its perceived applicability.ResultsOf the 300 total interns (male: 200, female: 100), 229 participated [response rate: 76%; male: 136 (68%), female: 93 (93%)]. The use of POCUS to detect abdominal free fluid was perceived to be the most applicable use (mean: 3.9 ±1.1); scanning for consolidation was the least applicable (mean: 3.0 ±1.2). Knowledge and proficiency among the sample were generally poor. The skill gap was greatest for the assessment of inferior vena cava collapsibility (mean: 1.4 ±1.3) and least for the identification of pneumothorax (mean: 0.5 ±1.5). Although three-quarters of the participants (170) agreed that POCUS was an essential skill, 36 (16%) stated that they had no interest in it, and nearly half (101) believed that they did not have time to learn POCUS.Conclusions While POCUS is applicable to medical interns in Saudi Arabia, significant skill gaps exist. However, our sample's perception of the applicability of POCUS was less favorable than that of internal medicine (IM) residents in Canada. Thus, initiating POCUS training during the internship year may yield suboptimal results. Interns must prioritize medical licensing examinations and applications for residency training. Indeed, many interns believe that they do not have enough time to learn POCUS. Thus, prioritizing the training of residents in POCUS may be a more effective use of the finite resources available for medical education.

Highlights

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a fast, portable, and non-invasive diagnostic tool [1,2,3]
A validated questionnaire was distributed to the interns of the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh to determine their proficiency in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), and their opinions on its applicability on a 5-point Likert scale
Each skill gap was calculated by subtracting selfreported proficiency in POCUS from its perceived applicability

Summary

Introduction

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is a fast, portable, and non-invasive diagnostic tool [1,2,3]. Practicing physicians have been mostly reluctant to integrate this paradigm-shifting technology into their routine practice [1]. This is partly due to their lack of familiarity with the tool [1]. As POCUS is a relatively new technology, most frontline physicians have little or no experience with its use. The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is generally on the rise worldwide. When considering the development of a training program during the internship year, we sought to determine interns' perceptions of the applicability of POCUS to clinical practice, the current skill gaps, and barriers to training

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Discussion

Conclusion