Focused and Point-of-Care Ultrasound
This page is designed to offer resources to those who use ultrasound as an adjunct to their work. This may include professionals such as GPs, emergency physicians, intensivists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists.
What is PoCUS?
PoCUS, or point-of-care ultrasound, covers a huge array of applications, which continue to expand rapidly but most often it refers to a focused ultrasound examination performed for a specific clinical question or for specific symptoms at the patient's bedside remote from the radiology department.
Commonly, PoCUS refers to an ultrasound examination performed by a non-imaging specialist, such as staff in the Emergency Department, the Intensive Care Unit, Urology and, increasingly, in GP surgeries. In addition, PoCUS frequently aids the decision-making of obstetricians, podiatrists, paramedics and other practitioners in a variety of locations. Clearly, the scope for PoCUS is vast.
The types of examinations performed by PoCUS users may be simple, such as 'rule-in' scans often performed in the ED setting, or they may be complex and detailed such as those performed by rheumatologists and sports physiotherapists.
'PoCUS under the spotlight'
This is a series of short interviews with a range of healthcare professionals who use PoCUS as an adjunct to their practice. These inspiring talks include answering key questions that every PoCUS user needs to know. Our thanks goes to the specialists who gave up their time to talk to us.
Does BMUS support PoCUS?
BMUS supports all technologies and practices that expedite safe and effective patient care. In appropriately trained hands, ultrasound is a relatively inexpensive but powerful diagnostic tool that often provides instant answers. BMUS supports all PoCUS applications when it is being used in an attempt to answer a clinical question.
Who should do PoCUS?
The background of the healthcare professional is irrelevant. What is of importance is that the professional has a full understanding of their scope of practice and has successfully completed a recognised ultrasound course covering core topics:
- Safety, physics, equipment and QA
- Sonographic anatomy and pathology
- Interpretation of images and recognition of artefacts
- Documentation of findings
- Audit and ongoing CPD
PoCUS Governance
A joint paper on ultrasound governance for those practising outside the remit of radiology departments has been published by BMUS and the Royal College of Radiologists (2023) Click here for full guidance
We also direct PoCUS users to our best practice statement:
BMUS Best practice statement on recording and storage of point-of-care ultrasound examinations
The following guidance has been produced by BMUS to assist users of ultrasound to adhere to best practice with regards to reporting and storage of images obtained from point-of-care ultrasound examinations. Click here for recommendations and suggested reporting template.
How can I learn PoCUS?
There are many established short courses tailored to the requirements of specific PoCUS applications. If there does not appear to be one below suited to your needs, we suggest you contact your professional organisation for advice in the first instance. It is important that your course ends with a robust, practical competence assessment.
Intensive care - https://www.ics.ac.uk/Society/Learning/FUSIC_Accreditation
Acute medicine - https://www.acutemedicine.org.uk/FAMUS/
Emergency medicine - https://rcem.ac.uk/ultrasound/
Physiotherapy - https://www.csp.org.uk/professional-clinical/professional-guidance/point-care-ultrasound-physiotherapy-practice
In addition, the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE) accredits a number of focused courses that are listed in their current directory here
University postgraduate PoCUS courses include:
https://www.derby.ac.uk/postgraduate/radiography-courses/medical-ultrasound-msc/
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/clinical-ultrasound-launching-september-2022
https://www.tees.ac.uk/postgraduate_courses/nursing_&_health/msc_medical_ultrasound.cfm
Interesting cases
This case may be of interest particularly to ultrasound practitioners in the ED setting. Click here to view.
Useful Resources
British Society of Echocardiography
The British Society of Echocardiography offers comprehensive guidelines for cardiac examination. See here for details or visit their website at www.bsecho.org
The Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. Most services using ultrasoud will require registration with and inspection by the CQC. Link to their home page here.
Contemporary PoCUS-related articles
EFSUMBClinical practice guidelines for point-of-care ultrasound: Part 1. (Common heart and pulmonary applications) (2022)
An initial framework for use of utrasound by speech and language therapists in the UK (2022)
Use of home ultrasound (2022)
Is there a place for point-of-care ultrasound in UK primary care? - PMC (nih.gov) (2020)
Proposed framework for PoCUS lung ultrasound by physiotherapists (2022)
PoCUS in pelvic health (2022)
Point-of-care ultrasound: unnecessary gadgetry or evidence-based medicine? (2018)
BMUS members will also have open access to the full PoCUS series of articles that were co-ordinated by Professor Bob Jarman and published in the journal Ultrasound from February 2011 onwards.