An Exploration of the Perceptions of Radiology Professionals towards Point of Care Ultrasound Training for Non-Radiology Health Care Providers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17140/ROJ-4-126Keywords:
Radiology professionals, Training, PerceptionsAbstract
Introduction
Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has been adopted across many countries as a way of addressing the human resource gap of
radiologists and sonographers. It involves providing basic and focused ultrasound skills to non-radiology health care providers to
enhance their routine clinical work.
Objective
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of radiology professionals about POCUS training.
Methods
The study was qualitative, involving radiologists and sonographers who perform ultrasound examinations. Purposive sampling
was used to select the participants. Purposive sampling is a type of sampling where participants are selected because they have the
knowledge and experience needed to answer the research objective. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were used
to collect data and thematic analysis employed.
Results
Participants generally held negative perceptions towards POCUS training. These were reflected in four major themes: 1) Absence
of standardized training curriculum; 2) Limited consultations with radiology professionals; 3) Fear of loss of professional identity
and 4) Challenges with POCUS training.
Conclusion
The participants felt negatively about POCUS training. For future acceptability, we recommend involvement of radiology professionals
in designing a POCUS curriculum as well as having a regulatory mechanism for monitoring the trainees.
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