Internal Medicine Residency Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Consensus Recommendations for Core Indications and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Background:

• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly integral to internal medicine training and practice.
• Despite widespread adoption and endorsement, a standardized POCUS curriculum for internal medicine residencies in the US is lacking.
• This consensus aimed to define essential POCUS components for internal medicine residency education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a consensus on core POCUS indications, applications, and skill components for internal medicine residency curricula in the United States.
• To guide the development of standardized POCUS training for internal medicine residents.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi methodology involving a four-step process was employed.
• Fourteen internal medicine POCUS experts from inpatient and outpatient settings participated.
• Consensus was defined as 75% agreement on recommendations.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on 12 core diagnostic and 6 procedural POCUS indications.
• Fifteen diagnostic POCUS applications and 52 specific skill components were identified for inclusion.
• Examples include identifying pericardial effusion, cholelithiasis, and bladder volume.

Conclusions:

• This represents the first expert-driven, evidence-based recommendation for core POCUS content in US internal medicine residency programs.
• Areas not reaching consensus may still be relevant for advanced POCUS users and specific clinical settings.
• The findings provide a foundation for developing standardized and effective POCUS curricula.