Point-of-Care Ultrasound Needs Assessment, Curriculum Design, and Curriculum Assessment in a Large Academic Internal...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
• Internal Medicine Residency

Background:

• Existing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curricula for internal medicine (IM) residencies are often incomplete.
• A needs assessment identified a gap in POCUS training within a large academic IM residency program.
• This highlights the necessity for comprehensive POCUS education in IM training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the need for POCUS training in an academic IM residency.
• To develop and implement a longitudinal POCUS curriculum.
• To evaluate the curriculum's impact on residents' POCUS knowledge, clinical use, and confidence.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey and knowledge test were administered to IM residents.
• A longitudinal POCUS curriculum was developed, including a workshop and an elective.
• Residents' POCUS knowledge and image interpretation were assessed pre- and post-elective, with follow-up surveys on use and confidence.

Main Results:

• Needs assessment revealed low baseline POCUS knowledge (mean 27%) and confidence gaps.
• The curriculum significantly improved POCUS knowledge (pretest 37% to posttest 74%).
• Post-elective, self-reported POCUS use and confidence increased, particularly for cardiac and pulmonary applications (76-95% high/very high use, 79-100% high/very high confidence).

Conclusions:

• A needs assessment effectively guided the development of a longitudinal, multidisciplinary POCUS curriculum.
• Residents completing the curriculum showed significant long-term gains in POCUS knowledge.
• The curriculum led to high reported use and confidence in core cardiac and pulmonary POCUS applications.