Point-of-Care Ultrasound Use, Accuracy, and Impact on Clinical Decision Making in Rwanda Hospitals.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Medical Education
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Limited data exists on the long-term impact of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training in low-resource settings.
• Previous studies often lack detailed analysis of clinical management changes or trainee-performed study quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term effects of a POCUS program on clinical decision-making.
• To evaluate the quality of POCUS studies performed by clinicians in Rwanda.

Main Methods:

• Physicians in Rwandan hospitals received POCUS training.
• Trainees documented POCUS findings, interpretations, and effects on patient management over six months.
• Trainee studies were reviewed for image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• 1158 POCUS examinations were documented, with 590 studies available for review.
• Abdominal ultrasound for free fluid detection was the most common application.
• Trainee POCUS demonstrated high sensitivity (94%) and specificity (98%) with good image quality.
• POCUS use led to changes in medication (42.4%) and patient disposition (30%).

Conclusions:

• POCUS training in a low-resource setting resulted in sustained production of diagnostic-quality ultrasound studies.
• The integration of POCUS routinely influenced clinical decision-making and patient management.