Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus
Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) improves patient outcomes. The current POCUS curriculum of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa is based on guidelines from the United Kingdom with a different burden of disease (BoD) and available resources than encountered locally. Aim: To de...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2023-06-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3576 |
| _version_ | 1827909720152735744 |
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| author | Louw Fourie Michael K. Pather Gavin Hendricks |
| author_facet | Louw Fourie Michael K. Pather Gavin Hendricks |
| author_sort | Louw Fourie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) improves patient outcomes. The current POCUS curriculum of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa is based on guidelines from the United Kingdom with a different burden of disease (BoD) and available resources than encountered locally.
Aim: To determine which modules of the POCUS curriculum should be implemented to better equip doctors working at a district hospital in the West Coast District (WCD), South Africa.
Setting: Six district hospitals within the WCD.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey with questionnaires for medical managers (MMs) and medical practitioners (MPs).
Results: A response rate of 78.9% for MPs and 100% for MMs was obtained. MPs rated the following modules of POCUS most relevant to their daily practice: (1) first trimester pregnancy; (2) deep vein thrombosis; (3) extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma; (4) central vascular access; and (5) focused assessment with sonography for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) (FASH).
Conclusion: There is a need for a POCUS curriculum informed by the local pattern of disease. Priority modules were identified based on the local BoD and reported relevance to practice. Despite the availability of ultrasound machines within the WCD, few MPs were accredited and able to perform POCUS independently. There is a need to implement training programmes for medical interns, MPs, family medicine registrars and family physicians working in district hospitals. A relevant curriculum for POCUS training based on the local needs within communities has to be developed.
Contribution: This study emphasises the need for a locally informed POCUS curriculum and training programmes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:42:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bbaabc22451439ba27bbfe2b2f829bd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2071-2928 2071-2936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:42:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bbaabc22451439ba27bbfe2b2f829bd2023-07-03T12:15:12ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362023-06-01151e1e810.4102/phcfm.v15i1.35761042Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focusLouw Fourie0Michael K. Pather1Gavin Hendricks2Division of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownDivision of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownDivision of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape TownBackground: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) improves patient outcomes. The current POCUS curriculum of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa is based on guidelines from the United Kingdom with a different burden of disease (BoD) and available resources than encountered locally. Aim: To determine which modules of the POCUS curriculum should be implemented to better equip doctors working at a district hospital in the West Coast District (WCD), South Africa. Setting: Six district hospitals within the WCD. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey with questionnaires for medical managers (MMs) and medical practitioners (MPs). Results: A response rate of 78.9% for MPs and 100% for MMs was obtained. MPs rated the following modules of POCUS most relevant to their daily practice: (1) first trimester pregnancy; (2) deep vein thrombosis; (3) extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma; (4) central vascular access; and (5) focused assessment with sonography for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) (FASH). Conclusion: There is a need for a POCUS curriculum informed by the local pattern of disease. Priority modules were identified based on the local BoD and reported relevance to practice. Despite the availability of ultrasound machines within the WCD, few MPs were accredited and able to perform POCUS independently. There is a need to implement training programmes for medical interns, MPs, family medicine registrars and family physicians working in district hospitals. A relevant curriculum for POCUS training based on the local needs within communities has to be developed. Contribution: This study emphasises the need for a locally informed POCUS curriculum and training programmes.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3576point-of-care ultrasounddistrict hospitalsunder-resourced settingscurriculumwest coast district. |
| spellingShingle | Louw Fourie Michael K. Pather Gavin Hendricks Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine point-of-care ultrasound district hospitals under-resourced settings curriculum west coast district. |
| title | Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus |
| title_full | Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus |
| title_fullStr | Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus |
| title_short | Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus |
| title_sort | point of care ultrasound the new district focus |
| topic | point-of-care ultrasound district hospitals under-resourced settings curriculum west coast district. |
| url | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3576 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT louwfourie pointofcareultrasoundthenewdistrictfocus AT michaelkpather pointofcareultrasoundthenewdistrictfocus AT gavinhendricks pointofcareultrasoundthenewdistrictfocus |