Current Use, Perceived Barriers, and Learning Preference of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the Emergency Medicine in Qatar – A Mixed Design

INTRODUCTION: Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been a part of emergency medicine (EM) training for almost two decades. EM training program has a very broad and rigorous POCUS curricula which, in several cases, does not translate to routine application in clinical settings. This study therefore sought to compare the indications, utilization, barriers, and preferred POCUS educational method in a large Middle Eastern academic EM. METHODOLOGY: A validated questionnaire was emailed to 50 EM faculties between April and May 2019. Volunteer faculty members partook in a semi-structured interview to better understand the indications, current use, barriers, and preferred learning method. Responses were anonymous, and data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. RESULTS: This was a mixed design study. 30/50 (60%) of faculty responded to the survey, with a mean age of 39.2 years and a mean number of years in practice, 13.1. 55% (n=28) completed POCUS training in less than five years, while 45% completed more than five years ago and 5% never completed it. Forty percent of EM physicians were trained in Africa, while 55% were qualified in Asia and 5% completed their training in Europe. The indications and frequently performed procedures were consistent with the previous research. The common barrier reported was lack of time, lack of credentialing, lack of quality assurance, and national guidelines. The majority of the faculty preferred a blended learning approach for POCUS. CONCLUSION: POCUS perceived barriers to its full use include time constraints, lack of national guidelines, and credentialing (awarding POCUS qualifications) of the faculty. Blended learning appears to be the preferred approach towards acquiring the knowledge and skills of POCUS.