As more specialties have begun to use Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in patient care, hospitals and healthcare systems have been investing increasing resources in POCUS infrastructure (training, equipment, and administration). Since each specialty uses different POCUS applications, healthcare systems seek to identify commonalities and differences between specialties to make thoughtful investments in POCUS infrastructure to support each specialty’s use of POCUS while minimizing redundancies. Historically, past studies have focused on POCUS use in individual specialties, primarily emergency medicine and critical care, but comparative studies of different specialties are needed to guide investment in POCUS infrastructure and bolster POCUS implementation across healthcare systems. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in the United States and compared data from 5 different specialties on current usage, training needs, and barriers to POCUS implementation. Data were collected from facility chiefs of staff (n = 130; 100

BACKGROUND: More primary care providers (PCPs) have begun to embrace the use of point-of-care ultra-sound (POCUS), but little is known about how PCPs are currently using POCUS and what barriers exist. In this prospective study, the largest systematic survey of POCUS use among PCPs, we assessed the cur-rent use, barriers to use, program management, and training needs for POCUS in primary care.METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of all VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) between June 2019 and March 2020 using a web-based survey sent to all VAMC Chiefs of Staff and Chiefs of pri-mary care clinics (PCCs).RESULTS: Chiefs of PCCs at 105 VAMCs completed the survey (82% response rate). Only 13% of PCCs currently use POCUS, and the most common applications used were bladder and musculoskeletal ultra-sound. Desire for POCUS training exceeded current use, but lack of trained providers (78%), ultrasound equipment (66%), and funding for training (41%) were common barriers. Program infrastructure to sup-port POCUS use was uncommon, and only 9% of VAMCs had local policies related to POCUS. Most PCC chiefs (64%) would support POCUS training.CONCLUSIONS: Current use of POCUS in primary care is low despite the recent growth of POCUS training in Internal Medicine residency programs. Investment in POCUS training and program infrastructure is needed to expand POCUS use in primary care and ensure adequate supervision of trainees.Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) center dot The American Journal of Medicine (2023) 136:592-595

The purpose of this study was to determine current use, training needs, and barriers to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use among anesthesiologists in practice.Multicenter, prospective, observational study.Anesthesiology departments in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in the United States.Chiefs of staff and chiefs of anesthesiology departments.A web-based survey was conducted between June 2019 and March 2020. Chiefs of staff answered questions about facility-level POCUS use, training, competency, and policies. Anesthesiology chiefs responded to a follow-up survey with specialty-specific POCUS questions. The results of the 2020 survey were compared with a similar survey conducted by the authors' group in 2015.All chiefs of staff (n = 130) and 77% of anesthesiology chiefs (n = 96) completed the survey. The most common POCUS applications used were central and peripheral vascular access (69%-72%), peripheral nerve blocks (66%), and evaluation of cardiac function (29%-31%). Compared with 2015, there was a statistically significant increase in desire for training (p = 0.00015), but no significant change in POCUS use (p = 0.31). Training was most desired for volume-status assessment (52%), left ventricular function (47%), pneumothorax (47%), central line placement (40%), peripheral nerve blocks (40%), and pleural effusion (40%). The most common barriers to POCUS use were lack of funding for training (35%), trained providers (33%), and training opportunities (28%).A significant increase in desire for POCUS training was seen among anesthesiologists practicing in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system since 2015, and lack of training continues to be a top barrier for POCUS use among anesthesiologists.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an integral part of critical care medicine for procedural guidance, bedside diagnostics, and assessing response to treatment. Multiple critical care societies recommend POCUS use, and POCUS training has been a requirement for critical care fellowship since 2012. Yet, current practice patterns of POCUS use in ICUs are not well known. RESEARCH QUESTION: This study aimed to characterize current POCUS use, training needs, and barriers to use among intensivists. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective observational study of all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers was conducted between June 2019 and March 2020 using a web-based survey of all chiefs of staff and ICU chiefs. These data were compared with those from a similar survey conducted in 2015. RESULTS: Chiefs of staff and ICU chiefs from 130 VA medical centers were surveyed with 100% and 83% response rates, respectively. At least one physician currently uses POCUS in 93% of ICUs, and 62% of individual physicians were estimated to be using POCUS. The most common POCUS applications were procedural guidance (59%), cardiac ultrasound (55%), and thoracic ultrasound (56%). Most chiefs (57%) reported teaching POCUS to trainees in their ICU. The most frequently reported barriers to POCUS use were lack of trained providers (48%), lack of funding for training (45%), lack of training opportunities (37%), and lack of image archiving (34%). From 2015 through 2020, POCUS use increased across most applications and an increase in desire for training was seen. INTERPRETATION: POCUS use increased across VA ICUs between 2015 and 2020, but significant gaps remain. Without a deliberate investment in POCUS training and infrastructure for physicians in practice, institutions are unlikely to benefit fully from standardized POCUS use in ICUs.

BackgroundPoint-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can aid geriatricians in caring for complex, older patients. Currently, there is limited literature on POCUS use by geriatricians. We conducted a national survey to assess current POCUS use, training desired, and barriers among Geriatrics and Extended Care ("geriatric") clinics at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs).MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of all VAMCs between August 2019 and March 2020 using a web-based survey sent to all VAMC Chiefs of Staff and Chiefs of geriatric clinics.ResultsAll Chiefs of Staff (n=130) completed the survey (100% response rate). Chiefs of geriatric clinics ("chiefs") at 76 VAMCs were surveyed and 52 completed the survey (68% response rate). Geriatric clinics were located throughout the United States, mostly at high-complexity, urban VAMCs. Only 15% of chiefs responded that there was some POCUS usage in their geriatric clinic, but more than 60% of chiefs would support the implementation of POCUS use. The most common POCUS applications used in geriatric clinics were the evaluation of the bladder and urinary obstruction. Barriers to POCUS use included a lack of trained providers (56%), ultrasound equipment (50%), and funding for training (35%). Additionally, chiefs reported time utilization, clinical indications, and low patient census as barriers.ConclusionsPOCUS has several potential applications for clinicians caring for geriatric patients. Though only 15% of geriatric clinics at VAMCs currently use POCUS, most geriatric chiefs would support implementing POCUS use as a diagnostic tool. The greatest barriers to POCUS implementation in geriatric clinics were a lack of training and ultrasound equipment. Addressing these barriers systematically can facilitate implementation of POCUS use into practice and permit assessment of the impact of POCUS on geriatric care in the future.

BACKGROUND:Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can reduce procedural complications and improve the diagnostic accuracy of hospitalists. Currently, it is unknown how many practicing hospitalists use POCUS, which applications are used most often, and what barriers to POCUS use exist. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to characterize current POCUS use, training needs, and barriers to use among hospital medicine groups (HMGs). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:A prospective observational study of all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers was conducted between August 2019 and March 2020 using a web-based survey sent to all chiefs of HMGs. These data were compared to a similar survey conducted in 2015. RESULT:Chiefs from 117 HMGs were surveyed, with a 90% response rate. There was ongoing POCUS use in 64% of HMGs. From 2015 to 2020, procedural POCUS use decreased by 19%, but diagnostic POCUS use increased for cardiac (8%), pulmonary (7%), and abdominal (8%) applications. The most common barrier to POCUS use was lack of training (89%), and only 34% of HMGs had access to POCUS training. Access to ultrasound equipment was the least common barrier (57%). The proportion of HMGs with ≥1 ultrasound machine increased from 29% to 71% from 2015 to 2020. An average of 3.6 ultrasound devices per HMG was available, and 45% were handheld devices. CONCLUSION:From 2015 to 2020, diagnostic POCUS use increased, while procedural use decreased among hospitalists in the VA system. Lack of POCUS training is currently the most common barrier to POCUS use among hospitalists.

Background Many institutions are training clinicians in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), but few POCUS skills checklists have been developed and validated. We developed a consensus-based multispecialty POCUS skills checklist with anchoring references for basic cardiac, lung, abdominal, and vascular ultrasound, and peripheral intravenous line (PIV) insertion. Methods A POCUS expert panel of 14 physicians specializing in emergency, critical care, and internal/hospital medicine participated in a modified-Delphi approach to develop a basic POCUS skills checklist by group consensus. Three rounds of voting were conducted, and consensus was defined by ≥ 80% agreement. Items achieving < 80% consensus were discussed and considered for up to two additional rounds of voting. Results Thirteen POCUS experts (93%) completed all three rounds of voting. Cardiac, lung, abdominal, and vascular ultrasound checklists included probe location and control, basic machine setup, image quality and optimization, and identification of anatomical structures. PIV insertion included additional items for needle tip tracking. During the first round of voting, 136 (82%) items achieved consensus, and after revision and revoting, an additional 21 items achieved consensus. A total of 153 (92%) items were included in the final checklist. Conclusions We have developed a consensus-based, multispecialty POCUS checklist to evaluate skills in image acquisition and anatomy identification for basic cardiac, lung, abdominal, and vascular ultrasound, and PIV insertion.

BACKGROUND:Clinical outcomes are worse in patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is commonly prescribed for such patients but with uncertain clinical benefits. We postulated that oral NAC, at much larger doses than those ordinarily prescribed, would improve clinical outcomes in a subset of patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis.OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine whether very high-dose NAC would improve respiratory health status in patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis.METHODS:Patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis were enrolled in a randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Patients received oral NAC (1,800 mg) or matching placebo twice daily for 8 weeks in addition to their usual respiratory medications. The primary outcome, respiratory health status, was assessed by changes in the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. The effects of NAC on lung function and circulating markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were also evaluated.RESULTS:We terminated the study prematurely because new external information suggested the possibility of a safety issue. Of the planned 130 patients, 51 were randomized and 45 (22 in the placebo arm and 23 in the NAC arm) completed the study. There was no statistically significant difference between changes in the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score, comparing NAC to placebo (adjusted mean difference, 0.1 U; 95% CI, -7.8 to 8.18 U; P=0.97). There were also no significant NAC-related improvements in any of the secondary outcomes.CONCLUSION:In this 8-week trial, we were unable to show any clinical benefit from a very high dose of NAC in patients with COPD and chronic bronchitis.

Reducing the need for diagnostic sleep studies for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) would reduce direct and opportunity costs while expediting time to treatment for this common and morbid disorder. We sought to determine if an established sleep apnea screening questionnaire (STOP-BANG) and wrist-worn overnight oximetry data could provide high positive predictive value for the presence of OSA.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS:We conducted a secondary analysis of data previously collected in a large, multicenter trial of daily azithromycin in COPD. To analyze the relationship between amount of baseline self-reported alcohol consumption in the past 12 months and subsequent AECOPD, we categorized the subjects as minimal (<1 drink/month), light-to-moderate (1-60 drinks/month), or heavy alcohol users (>60 drinks/month). The primary outcome was time to first AECOPD and the secondary outcome was AECOPD rate during the 1-year study period. RESULTS:Of the 1,142 enrolled participants, 1,082 completed baseline alcohol questionnaires and were included in this analysis. Six hundred and forty-five participants reported minimal alcohol intake, 363 reported light-to-moderate intake, and 74 reported heavy intake. There were no statistically significant differences in median time to first AECOPD among minimal (195 days), light-to-moderate (241 days), and heavy drinkers (288 days) (P=0.11). The mean crude rate of AECOPD did not significantly differ between minimal (1.62 events per year) and light-to-moderate (1.44 events per year) (P=0.095), or heavy drinkers (1.68 events per year) (P=0.796). There were no significant differences in hazard ratios for AECOPD after adjustment for multiple covariates. CONCLUSION:Among persons with COPD at high risk of exacerbation, we found no significant relationship between self-reported baseline alcohol intake and subsequent exacerbations. The number of patients reporting heavy alcohol intake was small and further study is needed to determine the effect of heavy alcohol intake on AECOPD risk.

RATIONALE:There are no published data regarding use of the STOP-BANG sleep apnea questionnaire in populations referred to Veterans Affairs (VA) sleep facilities. If a particular STOP-BANG score cutpoint had high positive predictive value in this referral population, it could reduce the need for diagnostic sleep studies.METHODS:STOP-BANG questionnaires were prospectively administered to veterans undergoing unattended sleep studies at a single VA facility. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of STOP-BANG scores for identifying a Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) greater than 15/hour. We also recalibrated the STOP-BANG score to our referral population, using logistic regression models.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Of 1,196 consecutive veterans undergoing unattended sleep studies, the mean STOP-BANG score was 5.7 ± 1.4, and 67% had an RDI greater than 15/hour. Sensitivities were excellent at lower STOP-BANG scores, but sharply decreased at scores of 6 and above. Specificity improved in a linear fashion with increasing scores. The ROC AUC was 0.66 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.69) and recalibrated models improved the ROC AUC to 0.74 (95% CI, 0.69-0.78). The highest STOP-BANG score of 8 was present in only 7.9% of the sample and had a positive predictive value of 85% (95% CI, 76-92%).CONCLUSIONS:The STOP-BANG questionnaire alone is insufficient to confirm the presence of significant sleep apnea. A maximal score of 8 did not have a high enough positive predictive value to forego confirmatory sleep testing.