Emergency Department Ultrasound Credentialing: a sample policy and procedure

Emergency physician use of bedside ultrasound has increased dramatically over the last two decades. However, many emergency departments find it difficult to gain formal hospital credentialing for bedside sonography. We present the Emergency Department (ED) Ultrasound Credentialing Policy from the University of California, San Francisco. Although the American College of Emergency Physicians has published formal guidelines on this subject, they are not written in such a way that they are readily transcribed into a document suitable for review by credentialing committees and executive medical boards. Our policy details the background of emergency bedside ultrasound, the goals of its use, the scope of emergency physician sonography, credentialing criteria, and an example of a quality assurance program. We have not changed the components of the previously published guidelines. Rather, this document has withstood the rigor of our own credentialing process and is presented as an example in the hopes that it may help other EDs who seek credentialing in their institutions. This document is intended as a guideline for credentialing committees and will require alteration to meet the needs of each different hospital; however, the overall framework should allow for a less time-consuming process.