Best Practices for Point of Care Ultrasound: An Interdisciplinary Expert Consensus

Area of Science:

• Medical Ultrasound
• Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Healthcare Standardization

Background:

• Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) use is increasing in medicine.
• Existing clinical guidelines lack standardization for optimal POCUS practices.
• A need exists for consistent POCUS best practices across diverse clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish recommended best practices for Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS).
• To provide a consensus-based framework for POCUS implementation and enhancement.
• To guide clinicians, leaders, and healthcare systems in POCUS program development.

Main Methods:

• A multi-disciplinary panel of 22 POCUS experts participated.
• A three-round modified Delphi process was employed.
• Consensus was reached on 57 statements regarding POCUS.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved on 57 best practice statements for POCUS.
• Statements cover POCUS definition, role, training, credentialing, device care, consent, data management, and documentation.
• The consensus provides a baseline for POCUS programs.

Conclusions:

• The developed POCUS best practices offer a standardized approach.
• These recommendations support consistent POCUS implementation and quality.
• The document serves as a foundational guide for POCUS programs.