Resident perception on the impact of point-of-care ultrasound in clinical care at a family medicine training program in Zambia.

Autor: Haldeman, Matthew S., Kunka, Evaristo, Makasa, Mpundu, Birkland, Bassim
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Zdroj: Ultrasound Journal; 5/15/2022, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p1-10, 10p
Abstrakt: Background: Patient access to necessary medical imaging in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains a major obstacle, complicating clinician decision-making and compromising patient outcomes. Methods: We implemented a longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training program at a new Family Medicine residency in Zambia and subsequently evaluated residents' perceptions on the impact of POCUS in patient care. Data were documented by the scanning resident via a post-scan survey, which assessed if/how the scan assisted in medical management, and if/how the scan changed that management. The primary endpoint was frequency of scans assisting and changing management. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Results: Over the 1-year study period, 366 patient encounters occurred in which POCUS was utilized, resulting in a total of 542 unique POCUS scans. POCUS assisted in decision-making in 95.6% (350/366) of patient encounters, most commonly by helping to determine a diagnosis. POCUS changed management in 65.8% (235/357) of patient encounters, most commonly leading to a medication change. Conclusions: Zambian resident physicians perceived POCUS to be very helpful in their clinical decision-making. These data support the need to advance POCUS education at the residency level throughout LMICs, which may be an ideal strategy to promote widespread utilization of POCUS in low-resource settings globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index
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