title: Point-of-care ultrasound education for non-physician clinicians in a resource-limited emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the outcomes and curriculum components of an educational programme to train non-physician clinicians working in a rural, Ugandan emergency department in the use of POC ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  The use of point-of-care ultrasound was taught to emergency care providers through lectures, bedsides teaching and hands-on practical sessions. Lectures were tailored to care providers' knowledge base and available therapeutic means. Every ultrasound examination performed by these providers was recorded over 4.5 years. Findings of these examinations were categorised as positive, negative, indeterminate or procedural. Other radiologic studies ordered over this same time period were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 22,639 patients were evaluated in the emergency department by emergency care providers, and 2185 point-of-care ultrasound examinations were performed on 1886 patients. Most commonly used were the focused assessment with sonography in trauma examination (53.3%) and echocardiography (16.4%). Point-of-care ultrasound studies were performed more frequently than radiology department-performed studies. Positive findings were documented in 46% of all examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe a novel curriculum for point-of-care ultrasound education of non-physician emergency practitioners in a resource-limited setting. These non-physician clinicians integrated ultrasound into clinical practice and utilised this imaging modality more frequently than traditional radiology department imaging with a large proportion of positive findings.
authors: The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.|Global Emergency Care Collaborative.
authors: Lori A
authors: LA
authors: Stolz
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Krithika M
authors: KM
authors: Muruganandan
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA.
authors: Mark C
authors: MC
authors: Bisanzo
authors: Department of Radiology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
authors: Mugisha J
authors: MJ
authors: Sebikali
authors: The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.|Global Emergency Care Collaborative.
authors: Bradley A
authors: BA
authors: Dreifuss
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|Idaho Emergency Physicians, Boise, ID, USA.
authors: Heather S
authors: HS
authors: Hammerstedt
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME, USA.
authors: Sara W
authors: SW
authors: Nelson
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|Nyakibale Hospital, Rukungiri, Uganda.
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Nayabale
authors: The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors: Srikar
authors: S
authors: Adhikari
authors: Global Emergency Care Collaborative.|University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors: Sachita P
authors: SP
authors: Shah
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D003906:Developing Countries; D004452:Echocardiography; D004493:Education; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D012424:Rural Population; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014454:Uganda; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: cliniciens non-médecins; delegación de funciones; délégation des tâches; non-physician clinicians; personal sanitario no clínico; point-of-care ultrasound; recursos limitados; resource-limited; ressources limitées; rural; task-shifting; ultrasonido PoC; échographie sur le lieu des soins