Standards for Point-of-care Ultrasound Research Reporting (SPUR): A modified Delphi to develop a framework for...

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a bedside diagnostic modality that depends on technical, operator-specific, patient-specific, and clinical context factors. Existing research reporting guidelines do not explicitly address these considerations as they pertain to replicability and generalizability of POCUS studies. The objective of this study was to create a framework to assist investigators, reviewers, and clinicians in reporting and evaluating the quality of POCUS research.

We applied a two-stage consensus-building approach. First, a steering committee reviewed available literature and existing guidelines to generate a novel list of items and explanatory subitems relevant to POCUS research. We vetted the list by soliciting public comments from individuals affiliated with POCUS-oriented professional organizations. Second, a consensus panel of experts, defined as POCUS researchers with a minimum of three first or senior author, POCUS-relevant publications completed a three-round Delphi survey. Consensus was defined as agreement by ≥80% of the panel. Items that did not reach consensus after three rounds were excluded.

Twenty POCUS experts participated in the study, completing all three survey rounds. The panel reached consensus to include 19/21 items and 62/119 subitems. The resulting instrument addresses variables related to technical hardware and settings (three items), specifics of the POCUS examination (two items), participant characteristics (two items), operator characteristics (five items), data analysis and interpretation (three items), and study-specific considerations (four items).

The Standards for Point-of-Care Ultrasound Research Reporting (SPUR) can aid researchers, reviewers, and clinicians in the design, dissemination, and critical appraisal of POCUS research.