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Building a European Trainer-of-Trainees Network for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Rural Family Medicine

Andrea BALBARINI, Mihai IACOB, Halata DAVID, Capitanio LEONARDO, Wöstmann XÉNIA, Joan Keefe AMANDA, Pandrazzuoli FERDINANDO, Özcan Maden ŞEYDA and Efe KÜBRA

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) enhances diagnostic accuracy, patient safety, and clinical autonomy in family medicine and is increasingly regarded as an extension of the clinical examination. Its relevance is particularly high in rural and underserved settings, where access to diagnostic imaging and specialist support is limited. Despite growing interest across Europe, access to structured, competency-based POCUS training remains uneven. Rural family physicians often face limited educational opportunities, insufficient local training capacity, and a lack of harmonized training standards. This heterogeneity raises concerns regarding quality assurance and safe clinical implementation. A coordinated European approach, grounded in competency-based medical education, is therefore required to support the effective, scalable, and sustainable integration of POCUS into routine family medicine practice.By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Describe key elements of a standardized European competency framework for POCUS in family medicine, with specific relevance to rural practice. Identify and compare scalable trainer-of-trainees (ToT) models to expand POCUS training capacity across countries and rural regions. Discuss governance, collaboration, and quality assurance mechanisms necessary to establish and sustain a European POCUS ToT network.This 75-minute interactive workshop employs a blended educational design informed by adult learning theory and competency-based training principles, as outlined in EFSUMB and Wonca Europe position papers. Short plenary inputs introduce a European pilot initiative and emerging competency standards for POCUS in primary care. Case-based discussions explore rural clinical scenarios in which POCUS supports diagnostic reasoning and management decisions. Practical demonstrations illustrate the alignment between defined competencies, teaching strategies, supervision, and assessment. Facilitated small-group work focuses on ToT structures, mentorship models, certification pathways, and sustainability considerations, followed by plenary synthesis and consensus-oriented recommendations.Participants will gain practical and transferable insights into the development and implementation of a European POCUS ToT network. Outcomes include enhanced understanding of competency-based curriculum design, collaborative capacity building across countries, and quality assurance strategies adaptable to diverse rural primary care contexts.This workshop promotes a collaborative, competency-driven, and evidence-informed approach to POCUS education, contributing to capacity building and supporting high-quality, sustainable integration of POCUS in family medicine across Europe.