Critical care ultrasound training: a survey of US fellowship directors.

TitleCritical care ultrasound training: a survey of US fellowship directors.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsMosier JM, Malo J, Stolz LA, Bloom JW, Reyes NA, Snyder LS, Adhikari S
JournalJ Crit Care
Volume29
Issue4
Pagination645-9
Date Published2014 Aug
ISSN Number1557-8615
KeywordsAccreditation, Critical Care, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data Collection, Faculty, Medical, Fellowships and Scholarships, Female, Humans, Point-of-Care Systems, Ultrasonics, United States
Abstract

<p><b>PURPOSE: </b>The purpose of this study is to describe the current state of bedside ultrasound use and training among critical care (CC) training programs in the United States.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS: </b>This was a cross-sectional survey of all program directors for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited programs during the 2012 to 2013 academic year in CC medicine, surgical CC, pulmonary and critical care, and anesthesia CC. Availability, current use, and barriers to training in CC ultrasound were assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Sixty of 195 (31%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24%-38%) program directors responded. Most of the responding programs had an ultrasound system available for use (54/60, 90%; 95% CI, 79%-96%) and identified ultrasound training as useful (59/60, 98%; 95% CI, 91%-100%) but lacked a formal curriculum (25/60, 42%; 95% CI, 29%-55%) or trained faculty (mean percentage of faculty trained in ultrasound: pulmonary and critical care, 25%; surgical CC, 33%; anesthesia CC, 20%; CC medicine, 7%), and relied on informal teaching (45/60, 77%; 95% CI, 62%-85%). Faculty with expertise (53/60, 88%; 95% CI, 77%-95%), simulation training (60/60, 100%; 95% CI, 94%-100%), establishing and meeting required number of examinations (47/60, 78%; 95% CI, 66%-88%), and regular review sessions (49/60, 82%; 95% CI, 70%-90%) were identified as necessary to improve ultrasound training. Most responding programs (32/35 91%; 95% CI, 77%-98%) without a formal curriculum plan to create one in the next 5 years.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>This study identified deficiencies in current training, suggesting a need for a formal curriculum for bedside ultrasound training in CC fellowship programs.</p>

DOI10.1016/j.jcrc.2014.03.006
Alternate JournalJ Crit Care
PubMed ID24768532
Faculty Reference: 
Srikar Adhikari, MD, MS, FACEP
Jarrod Mosier, MD
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