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Published on: March 6, 2019
Implementation and adoption of neonatal point-of-care ultrasound across a regional collaborative: a multicenter
Indrani Bhattacharjee1, Sfurti Nath2, Romal K Jassar3
1Division of Newborn Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Indrani.bhattacharjee@tuftsmedicine.org.
Objective:
To characterize program maturity, infrastructure readiness, and clinical integration of neonatal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) across a regional collaborative.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional survey of neonatal intensive care units participating in the New England Regional POCUS Collaborative. A 34-item survey assessed experience, integration, quality assurance (QA) processes, documentation practices, and training strategies. Data were analyzed descriptively.
Results:
Twenty-eight responses representing predominantly academic NICUs were analyzed. Most programs were early in development, with 69% self-identifying as emerging and 89% reporting fewer than three years of experience. Procedural applications were most common, whereas diagnostic uses were less consistently integrated. Although 62% reported moderate-to-high institutional support, only 23% had established QA processes, and routine documentation was uncommon; qualitative responses highlighted protected time and infrastructure as key barriers.
Conclusion:
Neonatal POCUS adoption is widespread but developmentally early. Predominance of procedural use and limited integration into major clinical decision-making suggest that maturation of governance structures and training frameworks may be necessary to support sustainable diagnostic expansion.
