Assessing primary care veterinarians’ use of and confidence in performing point‐of‐care ultrasound

Abstract

BackgroundPoint‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) is gaining popularity in the veterinary field, but there is little information on operator confidence.MethodsA survey was distributed to primary care veterinarians (PCVs) via social media between May and July 2020. Details of participants' training in and use of POCUS were recorded. Participants' confidence in using thoracic and abdominal POCUS was also assessed using a five‐point Likert scale.ResultsTwo hundred and one PCVs used POCUS, of which 32% reported using a non‐standardised protocol. Fifty percent of PCVs were self‐taught and 17.4% had attended a specific practical course. The median confidence score was 4 out of 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 2–5) for identifying abdominal abnormalities, irrespective of the training method. The median confidence score for thoracic abnormalities was 3 out of 5 (IQR 1–4) for those taught by a colleague or who were self‐taught using journal articles or videos.LimitationsThe survey‐based nature of the study relies on self‐reporting and is therefore liable to recall bias.ConclusionsPCVs' confidence in using POCUS is lacking, particularly with thoracic POCUS. Standardised practical training for PCVs, particularly in thoracic POCUS, would be beneficial. Future studies should explore how best to deliver this training.

A survey of the use of ultrasound by small animal veterinary clinicians

“…These findings may suggest that imaging of the heart is more challenging or that training in the specific area is less accessible. 19,22 Other ultrasound assessments that were performed less commonly and with low confidence included the detection of adrenal and pancreatic abnormalities, detection of lymph node and musculoskeletal abnormalities, detection of pneumothorax and measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter. This suggests that the assessment of these organs or abnormalities likely requires more advanced training and that these abnormalities may be less well-researched in veterinary medicine.…”

“…40 We found that most small animal practitioners with access to an ultrasound unit have less than 25 h of training and are not uncommonly self-educated, similar to the study of primary care veterinarians in the United Kingdom. 22 The optimal number of training hours or supervised exams for a veterinarian to have a basic level of proficiency for limited ultrasound assessments has not been determined.…”

“…21 Another recent social media survey of 251 primary care veterinarians in the United Kingdom suggested while the use of ultrasound is widespread that confidence in using point-of-care ultrasound was low, particularly for thoracic and cardiovascular point-of-care ultrasound. 22 As these previous studies have shown the seemingly frequent use of ultrasound among veterinarians globally, the purpose of this study was to document the current use and practices of ultrasound among a large number of small animal veterinarians, primarily in the United States.…”