Back to Search
Start Over
Introducing point-of-care ultrasound in Danish general practice-elucidating the use through a medical audit.
- Source :
-
Family Practice . Apr2021, Vol. 38 Issue 2, p80-87. 8p. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- <bold>Background: </bold>Point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is increasingly used across the medical field. PoCUS is also being implemented in general practice despite a lack of clinical guidelines and training programs for general practitioners (GPs).<bold>Objectives: </bold>This study aimed to elucidate the employment of PoCUS by Danish GPs following a short training program.<bold>Methods: </bold>Thirty GPs were enrolled in a short ultrasound training program and taught how to perform 22 selected scanning modalities. In the following 3 months, the GPs registered all performed PoCUS examinations according to the Audit Project Odense method. After 5 months, the GPs were invited to participate in an evaluation seminar, where questionnaires were distributed.<bold>Results: </bold>During the registration period, 1598 patients were examined with PoCUS. A total of 1948 scanning modalities were registered, including 207 examinations outside the taught curriculum. The majority of the ultrasound examinations were performed within 10 minutes (89%), most were considered to be conclusive (87%) and/or to increase diagnostic certainty (67%), whereas one in four examinations entailed a change in patient management. Most GPs attending the evaluation seminar continued to use PoCUS and found the scanning modalities included in the course curriculum relevant in their daily work.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>The GPs found several indications for performing PoCUS following the attendance of a 2-day basic training program. The majority of examinations were registered to be conclusive and/or increase diagnostic certainty. However, few GPs used PoCUS on a daily basis and not all examinations were registered to have an impact on patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02632136
- Volume :
- 38
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Family Practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 149628652
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmaa080