Licensing Bodies Research Articles

Genetic counseling development and milestone in Oman

Genetic counseling as an emerging profession has seen an expansion around the world. In the Sultanate of Oman, the profession has developed with the establishment of clinical and biochemical genetic services in 2010 and genetic counseling services in 2011. Currently, three main genetic counseling teams serve the country through qualified genetic counselors who completed internationally-recognized MSc program. The genetic counselors are working in governmental clinical genetic units and play vital roles in enhancing the quality of genetic services dealing with pediatric and adult-onset disorders. The impact of the service is reflected in the escalated demand for preventative measures such as alternative reproductive options, premarital genetic counseling and testing as well as predictive counseling and testing. Despite the limited resources and absence of a licensing body, the genetic counseling profession in Oman is progressing. This special report describes the development of genetic counseling in Oman and the milestones reached. It details the areas of service, scope of practice, and the unique social and cultural nuances inherent to genetic counseling in Oman.

Integrating the social determinants of health into graduate medical education training: a scoping review

BackgroundThe social determinants of health (SDH) play a key role in the health of individuals, communities, and populations. Academic institutions and clinical licensing bodies increasingly recognize the need for healthcare professionals to understand the importance of considering the SDH to engage with patients and manage their care effectively. However, incorporating relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes relating to the SDH into curricula must be more consistent. This scoping review explores the integration of the SDH into graduate medical education training programs.MethodsA systematic search was performed of PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, ERIC, and Scopus databases for articles published between January 2010 and March 2023. A scoping review methodology was employed, and articles related to training in medical or surgical specialties for registrars and residents were included. Pilot programs, non-SDH-related programs, and studies published in languages other than English were excluded.ResultsThe initial search produced 829 articles after removing duplicates. The total number of articles included in the review was 24. Most articles were from developed countries such as the USA (22), one from Canada, and only one from a low- and middle-income country, Kenya. The most highly represented discipline was pediatrics. Five papers explored the inclusion of SDH in internal medicine training, with the remaining articles covering family medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, or a combination of disciplines. Longitudinal programs are the most effective and frequently employed educational method regarding SDH in graduate training. Most programs utilize combined teaching methods and rely on participant surveys to evaluate their curriculum.ConclusionApplying standardized educational and evaluation strategies for SDH training programs can pose a challenge due to the diversity of the techniques reported in the literature. Exploring the most effective educational strategy in delivering these concepts and evaluating the downstream impacts on patient care, particularly in surgical and non-clinical specialties and low- and middle-income countries, can be essential in integrating and creating a sustainable healthcare force.

Health care managers' perspectives on workforce licensing practice in Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

Professional licensing bodies are valuable sources for tracking the health workforce, as many skilled health-care providers require formal training, registration, and licensure. Regulatory activities in Ethiopia were not effectively implemented due to poor follow-up and gaps in skilled human resources, budget, and information technology infrastructure. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences and challenges faced by health care managers in health professionals' licensure practices in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design with a phenomenological approach was employed between March 26 and April 30, 2021, to collect qualitative data. We conducted in-depth interviews with a total of 32 purposively selected health system managers. An interview guide was prepared in English, translated into Amharic, and then pretested. Audio recorded data was transcribed verbatim, translated, and analysed manually by themes and sub-themes. A member check was done to check the credibility of the result. The data revealed four major themes: awareness of licensing practices, enforcement of licensing practices, systems for assuring the quality of licensing practices, and challenges to licensing practices. Lack of awareness among managers about health workforce licensing was reported, especially at lower-level employers. Regulators were clear on the requirements to issue a licence to the health workforce if they are competent in the licensing exam, while human resource managers do not emphasise whether the employees have a licence or not during employment. As a result of this, non-licenced health workers were employed. Health care managers mentioned that they did not know any monitoring tools to solve the issue of working without a licence. Fraudulent academic credentials, shortage of resources (human resources, finance, equipment, and supplies), and weak follow-up and coordination systems were identified as main practice challenges. This study reported a suboptimal health professionals' licensing practice in Ethiopia, which is against the laws and proclamations of the country that state to employ all health workers only with professional licenses. Challenges for health professionals' licensing practice were identified as fraudulent academic credentials, a shortage of resources (HR, finance, equipment, and supplies), and a weak follow-up and coordination system. Further awareness of licensing practices should be created, especially for lower-level employers. Regulators shall establish a reliable digital system to consistently assure the quality of licensing practices. Health care managers must implement mechanisms to regularly monitor the licensing status of their employees and ensure that government requirements are met. Collaboration and regular communication between regulators and employers can improve quality practices.

Prehospital Standards for Point of Care Ultrasound

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an increasingly recognized tool for the rapid bedside assessment of undifferentiated patients. With the advent of affordable portable devices, this tool has expanded to the prehospital world, offering an opportunity to improve patient care prior to arrival in the emergency department. To assess how this tool has become incorporated into paramedical care in Canada, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of paramedical licensing bodies across Canada investigating POCUS accreditation, licensing, scope of practice, and quality assurance regulation for paramedics. Overall, few provincial paramedical licensing bodies include POCUS in the scope of practice for prehospital practitioners, and those who do are not involved with POCUS training, licensing, or quality assurance. Our findings highlight the need for defined competence standards and quality assurance metrics to ensure safe and effective use of this bedside tool.

USING COLLECTIVE IMPACT TO ASSESS HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES WORKER TRAINING AND CREDENTIALING

Abstract Older adults and people living with disabilities receive home- and community-based services (HCBS) from approximately 120,000 often poorly paid and inadequately supported direct care workers in North Carolina (NC). The demand for these workers is increasing rapidly, with NC projected to add almost 23,000 new direct care jobs from 2020 to 2030. With the goal of optimizing the workforce pipeline to prepare for the high need for HCBS across NC, we conducted a Medicaid-funded landscape analysis of direct care training/credentialing using Collective Impact (CI). CI is used for diverse collaborations through forming a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and “backbone” support (dedicated coordination team). Engaging with lived experiences is crucial in CI as it leads to sustainable decision-making informed by those affected by policy change. With input from long-term services and support agencies, licensing bodies, advocates, and those with lived experience, we characterized NC HCBS training/credentialing landscape, generating a first-of-its-kind comprehensive crosswalk resource for the state. Findings reveal the complexity of training/requirements, limited portability, lack of flexibility, and a need for more person-centered and relational core competencies. In addition, funding and incentives for additional training are lacking, which limits opportunities for professional development and career advancement. CI is an effective method to analyze direct care worker training/credentialing, it allowing researchers to harness the wisdom of community partners and incorporate lived experiences of the people most impacted by potential policy changes - workers, HCBS recipients, and families.

Patient safety culture is needed in veterinary medicine.

Studies in human medicine indicate that between 22,000 and 400,000 people die every year as a direct result of medical errors. In veterinary medicine, 42% of human-caused incidents caused harm to the patient, including 5% resulting in death. In a university veterinary teaching hospital, there were 5.3 errors/1,000 patient visits, and 4 of these resulted in death. Veterinary medicine falls far behind other safety-critical industries in adopting a culture of patient safety. Organizations should respond in a just and effective way when errors occur. Psychological safety for team members to identify and speak up about areas of concern must be created and the results of improvements made based on these concerns shared within the professional group. If veterinary medicine is going to embrace patient safety culture, it needs to be included in the curriculum. Accrediting and licensing bodies need to require the teaching and application of principles of patient safety culture. Faculty must be trained to deliver patient safety-oriented care. Experts in human systems engineering should be brought in to educate veterinarians on how the systems we work in impact patient outcomes. If we are going to fulfill the promise of the Veterinarian's Oath, we must embrace patient safety culture and all the difficult changes it requires of our professional culture.

MODELING THE APPROACHES TO MANAGING JOINT CO-OP INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The paper offers an overview and an in-depth analysis of a management framework for developing cooperation between international higher education institutions. Given the key areas and strategic opportunities from the international higher education institution partnership, the study has identified the specifics of international cooperation that can affect the performance efficiency of international activities of higher education institutions along with providing a better focus on the range of mechanisms that can be adopted to boost cooperation between international higher education institutions to increase their efficiency. In addition, the study explores the validity prospects for the above management mechanism as an effective toolkit to enhance HEI global competitiveness. The research findings demonstrate that a higher education system, in the narrow sense, is a set of organizations (institutions) that produce (provide) educational services to individuals (consumers) who pursue higher education. From this perspective, the higher education system includes institutions of higher education, as well as other organizations: licensing, certification and accreditation bodies and research institutions that carry out analytical research in the area of higher education development; monitoring organizations – to maintain higher education quality assurance; media; NGOs; donor organizations. In this context, the primary objective of the education system is to gain maximum effectiveness and efficiency of educational activities. Apart from the above, this paper seeks to explore the effects from education internationalization, thus demonstrating that this process is critical in terms of fostering harmonization of different education systems (at the global level, as well as in the nation-wide settings). The study also asserts that education internationalization creates favourable environment to effective implementation of the goals of sustainable development, in particular those related to human capital development through education. Within the framework of this research, sustainable development of society in the context of higher education and science internationalization and global progress of humanity as well as the institutionalization transformations in political, economic and social domains is viewed as a holistic and multi-level interaction of economies, societies, states, social institutions, cultures, peoples, nations, worldviews, etc. that ultimately affects both the national models of education and science, as well as translates into a change of the global educational and research paradigm.

The offshore renewables industry may be better served by new bespoke design guidelines than by automatic adoption of recommended practices developed for oil and gas infrastructure: A recommendation illustrated by subsea cable design

IntroductionThere is an emerging need for the offshore renewable industry to have their own bespoke design guidelines because the associated projects and offshore facilities differ in fundamental ways to oil and gas facilities. Offshore renewable energy (ORE) facilities have already surpassed the numbers of installed facilities in the oil and gas industry by an order of magnitude and demand is forecast to continue growing exponentially. In addition ORE facilities often have different response characteristics and limit states or failure modes as well as profoundly different risk and consequence profiles given they are generally uncrewed and do not contain explosive hydrocarbon fluids which might be released into the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to advocate for licensing bodies and regulators (such as the various national PEL 114 committees) to challenge the process of automatic adoption of oil and gas design processes, while pushing for offshore renewables to be treated differently, when appropriate, with more relevant and applicable guidance.MethodsTo support this argument we present new bespoke design guidance developed for subsea cables based on specific modes of cable behaviour, which often differ from pipelines. We also show worked examples from recent project experience. The results from on-bottom stability analyses of a set of cables are compared between conventional oil and gas guidance following DNV-RP-F109 versus the stability using cable-optimised approaches.ResultsThe outcomes from the ‘conventional’ oil and gas results are not simply biased compared to cable-optimised design methods, with a trend of being either conservative or unconservative. Instead, the results of the two methods are very poorly correlated. This shows that the oil and gas approach isn't simply biased when applied to cables, but is instead unreliable because it doesn't capture the underlying failure conditions. These analytical comparisons are supported by field observation - the ocean doesn't lie, and makes short work of any anthropogenic structures which are designed with inadequate appreciation of the real world conditions.DiscussionTo support the rapid growth of ORE, we should therefore actively pursue opportunities to rewrite the design rules and standards, so that they better support the specific requirements of ORE infrastructure, rather than legacy oil and gas structures. With more appropriate design practices, we can accelerate the roll out of ORE to meet net zero, and mitigate the climate crisis.

АУДИТОРЛИК ТЕКШИРУВИНИ ЎТКАЗИШДА АМЕРИКА ДАВЛАТЛАРИНИНГ ТАЖРИБАСИ

In American countries, the emergence of the capital market, the development of credit relations, the expansion of the production sector, and such processes is a new impetus to the audit development depending on economic factors. This article provides auditing auditing activities of developed American countries, authorities and specific features of the audience. In particular, in the United States, Auditing Standards, the Control and Licensing), the supervisory and licensing body, the application of the external quality control, the application of the external quality control, the use of compulsory audit, audit organizations and the auditorium Requirements for key services, auditors have been analyzed.

A Journey Through Tapering.

Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for almost 40 years has not been an easy journey. My disease has been severe and difficult to manage; from the beginning there were challenges getting a diagnosis and in finding medications that were effective long term. Thirty years ago, unable to cope with the extreme pain and with 3 children aged 8, 11, and 13 who needed a functioning mother, my doctor prescribed an opioid. This medication gave me back some quality of life but taking opioids is not without significant risks. No one discussed the challenges I would face if and when the time came to stop taking them. With the opioid crisis there has been more pressure from government and medical licensing bodies to implement policies to restrict access for patients prescribed opioids and to encourage tapering. With the change in policy additional funding and resources are needed to help patients through the process but those supports do not exist across Canada.

Canadian dental hygienists’ experiences and perceptions of regulatory guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative descriptive analysis

BackgroundIn Spring of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian provincial dental hygiene regulatory bodies implemented new practice guidelines. Reports of stress, anxiety and conflict experienced by dental hygienists have been linked to miscommunication between oral health regulators at this time. Limited data exists on the perceptions and experiences of dental hygienists navigating new guidelines for dental hygiene care during the pandemic. Therefore, the objective of our study was to explore via descriptive thematic analysis how dental hygienists experienced and perceived: i) dental hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ii) their regulatory body’s COVID-19 guidelines.MethodsParticipants were identified through provincial dental hygiene licensing bodies. Online bi-monthly questionnaires were administered to participants (n = 876) from December 2021 to January 2022. Two open-ended questions were asked in the questionnaire. A qualitative descriptive thematic analysis was applied to these two questions.ResultsMajor themes at baseline relayed challenges related to workplace compliance, patient treatment and communication of practice protocols. Across responses, hygienists confirmed conflicting messaging from regulators and guideline interpretations as stressors impacting their professional practice and satisfaction within the profession. Participant responses at endpoint cited increased satisfaction with regulatory guidelines as the pandemic evolved, yet inconsistencies in regulators’ messaging was noted as a prevailing issue.ConclusionInconsistent guideline messaging reflects an increased need for collaboration amongst oral health care regulators to streamline protocols for practice and reduce interprofessional conflict in pandemic circumstances. A national unified approach is warranted in establishing guidelines for dental hygiene practice in Canada.

Nigerian stakeholders’ perceptions of a pilot tier accreditation system for Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors to expand access to family planning services

BackgroundCommunity Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) are often the first point of care for many Nigerians, and when sufficiently trained, they contribute to the expansion of family planning services. Nigeria’s task shifting policy and existing regulatory and licensing bodies provide the enabling environment for PPMVs to be stratified and trained. This study explored the perceptions of stakeholders toward the pilot three-tier accreditation system instituted by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria with support from the IntegratE project.MethodsTwo rounds of qualitative phone interviews were conducted among stakeholders in Kaduna and Lagos states in 2020 and 2021. In addition, there were two rounds of phone interviews with CPs and PPMVs (program recipients) from Lagos and Kaduna states. All participants were purposively selected, based on their involvement in the IntegratE project activities. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using Atlas.ti software. Thematic analysis was conducted.ResultsFifteen stakeholders and 28 program recipients and 12 stakeholders and 30 program recipients were interviewed during the first and second rounds of data collection respectively. The data are presented around three main themes: 1) the pilot three-tier accreditation system; 2) enabling environment; and 3) implementation challenges. The accreditation system that allows for the stratification and training of PPMVs to provide family planning services was perceived in a positive light by majority of participants. The integrated supportive supervision team that included representation from the licensing and regulatory body was seen as a strength. However, it was noted that the licensing process needs to be more effective. Implementation challenges that need to be addressed prior to scale up include bottlenecks in licensing procedures and the deep-rooted mistrust between CPs and PPMVs.ConclusionScale up of the three-tier accreditation system has the potential to expand access to family planning services in Nigeria. In other resource-poor settings where human resources for health are in short supply and where drug shops are ubiquitous, identifying drug shop owners, training them to offer a range of family planning services, and providing the enabling environment for them to function may help to improve access to family planning services.

On embedding assessments of self-regulated learning into licensure activities in the health professions: a call to action.

How well have healthcare professionals and trainees been prepared for the inevitable demands for new learning that will arise in their future? Given the rapidity with which ‘core healthcare knowledge’ changes, medical educators have a responsibility to audit whether trainees have developed the capacity to effectively self-regulate their learning. Trainees who engage in effective self-regulated learning (SRL) skillfully monitor and control their cognition, motivation, behaviour, and environment to adaptively meet demands for new learning. However, medical curricula rarely assess trainees’ capacity to engage in these strategic processes. In this position paper, we argue for a paradigm shift toward assessing SRL more deliberately in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as in associated licensing activities. Specifically, we explore evidence supporting an innovative blend of principles from the science on SRL, and on preparation for future learning (PFL) assessments. We propose recommendations for how program designers, curriculum developers, and assessment leads in undergraduate and postgraduate training programs, and in licensing bodies can work together to develop integrated assessments that measure how and how well trainees engage in SRL. Claims about lifelong learning in health professions education have gone unmatched by responsive curricular changes for far too long. Further neglecting these important competencies represents a disservice to medical trainees and a potential risk to the future patients they will care for.

Exploring resident perspectives on family medicine enhanced skills training.

Third-year enhanced skills programs, also known as family medicine (FM) PGY3 programs, have always been an area of debate. Their exponential growth does not stem from a strong body of academic evidence or public health needs assessment. This qualitative descriptive study explores the current perspectives of second-year FM residents at the University of Ottawa on extended training programs through semi-structured interviews. Of the fifteen participants, eight were applying to PGY3 FM programs, six were not and one was unsure. Themes generated included: developing generalist niches within primary care, increasing confidence of FM graduates, allowing generalists to fill in healthcare gaps to meet community needs, meeting the pressures of workplace competition and employability requirements, and creating alternate paths to five-year specialties. 80% would extend their core FM training, with self-design and options of shorter time frames as preconditions. FM residents are interested in furthering their training, whether through extending core residency period or via enhanced skills programs. The demand for these programs will continue rising. Capitalizing on residents' interests to catapult the profession forward and optimize the quality of healthcare should be the priority for licensing bodies and medical educators.

The Promotion of the Socio-Environmental State and Environmental Justice in the Mining Activities Chamber of Minas Gerais

Objective: the objective of this article is to examine whether, and how, the foundations of the Socio-environmental State are concretized in the course of the decision-making process regarding the granting of environmental licenses for iron extraction activities in Minas Gerais. Theoretical framework: The research is based primarily on studies of the development of the Socio-environmental State, on the literature on environmental justice, and on environmental licensing. Method: the research is qualitative in nature, descriptive, and documentary research was carried out, in addition to the strategy of content analysis. Results and conclusion: the analyses indicate the ineffectiveness of environmental licensing as an instrument of State regulatory policy for environmental protection, a fact that compromises the effectiveness of the Socio-environmental State. Implications of the research: based on a critical analysis of the institutional arrangement of the licensing agency under study, we highlight the need to improve the current licensing model in Minas Gerais in order to ensure the effectiveness of environmental protection, which is configured as a state duty, as a way to ensure the prevalence of the principles that guide the Socio-environmental State. Originality/value: the study intends to contribute to the improvement of environmental governance with regard to environmental licensing, opposing the claims for greater operational flexibility of the instrument. It is intended to show how the institutional arrangement that structures the licensing body in the current model in Minas Gerais does not follow the strategy of promoting the intrinsic precepts of the Socio-environmental State, corroborating the prevalence of environmental injustices in the scope of mining exploration in the state.

A Clinical Competency Framework for the Basic Package of Oral Care: Perceptions of Primary Oral Health Providers in Rural Nepal.

IntroductionThe basic package of Oral Care (BPOC) was developed to improve oral health care for underserved populations worldwide. However, systematic delivery of the BPOC has been difficult to achieve, and training efforts have in some cases contributed to proliferation of malpractice. Standard Competency Frameworks (CF), increasingly used in dental and medical education to improve quality assurance, have not been established to date for the BPOC.MethodsTo evaluate provider perceptions of a BPOC-specific CF, in-depth interviews were conducted with 7 Primary Oral Health Providers (POHPs) and 5 Clinic Assistants working in the Jevaia Oral Health Care project (Jevaia) in Nepal. Participants were limited to providers who have used the CF. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed in Nepali, and translated into English. A qualitative thematic analysis was applied through a multi-stage review process, and emergent themes were further grouped and categorized to draw final conclusions.ResultsFindings were categorized into four groups: (1) “What is the CF to Me”: Respondents frequently conflated the CF with professional development training. These activities together were essentially felt to offer clear performance guidance and a pathway for learning. (2) “Relationship to the Work”: Respondents reported that the CF's guidelines increased confidence, peer accountability, and job satisfaction. (3) “Practical Improvements”: Providers felt the CF improved their clinical skills, communication, crowd management, and teamwork. (4) “Community Impact”: Many participants felt that improved skills had led to a more efficient workflow, greater community acceptance, and increased utilization of services.ConclusionsClinicians broadly felt that the CF improved both their professional satisfaction and the quality of patient care. CFs should be considered integral to BPOC implementation, along with opportunities for continuous professional learning, and these activities will likely be most meaningful and impactful when recognized by government and other licensing bodies.

Changing the model of radiography practice: Challenges of role advancement and future needs for radiographers working in the UAE

IntroductionThe radiographers' role in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is focused on image acquisition with a willingness to accept advanced practice roles after appropriate education and training. Radiographers working in the UAE are highly motivated and ambitious to achieve those internationally identified levels of professional recognition and opportunities for role advancement. This study investigates the radiographers’ perspectives, perceptions and hopes for role advancement in the UAE. MethodsA qualitative research study design using Focus Group Discussions (FGD) was used to elicit the perceptions of radiographers. Participants were radiographers working in the hospitals and clinics supervised by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Participants were asked about the recognized tasks defined as advancement roles, needs for roles clinically, challenges and requirements to prepare radiographers to participate in extended/developed roles. The discussions were audio recorded and later transcribed by an independent research assistant. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis Results29 radiographers participated in the FGDs, and 83% (n = 24) were interested in role advancement. FGD revealed that their current practice showed some informal extended role that may promote career progression. The most significant challenges identified by participants was their knowledge level as provided by the current curriculum and the need for education and licensing body support to accommodate change. ConclusionThe study identified a need for education and licensing body support to enable change in roles by radiographers, through improving radiographer knowledge and experience for role advancement. Implications for practiceTo sustain role advancement, formal intense training and education are necessary, normally above bachelor's degree level. Furthermore, establishing standards, licensing organizations/professional bodies should be part of the transformation of the profession to enable internationally recognized models to be followed.

Competency-Based Medical Training in Anesthesiology: Has It Delivered on the Promise of Better Education?

Competency-Based Medical Training in Anesthesiology: Has It Delivered on the Promise of Better Education?

In Case You Haven't Heard…

The American Medical Association (AMA) is pushing for legislative, regulatory and health system changes to support the mental health needs of medical students, residents and practicing physicians that include laws to ensure confidentiality around seeking care for burnout; advocacy to urge state medical licensing bodies, health systems and credentialing bodies to remove questions on applications that may deter physicians from seeking treatment for a mental illness or substance use disorder; and reducing administrative burdens that contribute to physician burnout. The AMA is encouraging a number of advocacy efforts that include supporting and helping to implement provisions in the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (see MHW, Feb. 28), which would, among other things, establish a national campaign encouraging health care professionals to prioritize their mental health and use available mental and behavioral health services; disseminate evidence‐based practices for preventing suicide and improving resiliency among health care professionals.

Scoping Review of Curricula and Pedagogical Approaches for Physiotherapist Performed Point of Care Ultrasonography.

This study collates and maps physiotherapy pre- and post-licensure curricula and pedagogical approaches for point of care ultrasonography (POCUS). We used a standardized scoping review methodology and reporting framework. A total of 18,217 titles and abstracts, and 1,372 full text citations were screened, with 209 studies classified as physiotherapist performed POCUS. Of the 209 studies, 15 evaluated pre- and post-licensure curricula and pedagogical approaches. Seventy-two to 98% of pre-licensure programs reported including theoretical knowledge of POCUS and 44-45% reported practical teaching or competency assessment. In post-licensure studies of POCUS, 0-61% of physiotherapists reported training for POCUS. All studies of post-licensure pedagogical approaches included an assessment of theoretical knowledge of POCUS, but only one study included a practical assessment of competency. There was considerable variability in POCUS methods and duration of pedagogical approaches. Except for one study, all pedagogical approaches reported improvement in theoretical knowledge. Progress in physiotherapy-specific, standardized, competency-based curricula and pedagogical approaches in POCUS has been limited, with minimal research available, and considerable variability both pre- and post-licensure. These findings could be used to advocate for the inclusion of POCUS in pre- and post-licensure physiotherapy curriculum, and suggest a need for clear guidelines from regulatory colleges and licensing bodies, and a common terminology for physiotherapist performed POCUS. Future directions for research include a systematic review of the psychometric properties of physiotherapist performed POCUS within and across anatomical areas, an assessment of value of different forms of training, and an evaluation of the impact of physiotherapist performed POCUS on patient outcomes.