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Implementing a Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) teaching program in the General Practice residency curriculum

Arnaud CHABARDÈS, Baptiste CHAUVIN, Laurent AUBERTIN, David DE BANDT, Dragos Paul HAGIU and Olivier LEBOUCHER

Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is expanding in primary care. In June 2023, WONCA Europe issued a position statement on POCUS, emphasizing its utility in diagnosing or ruling out medical emergencies, managing low-to-moderate complexity conditions, and monitoring acute and chronic diseases, regardless of hospital infrastructure. In many European countries, ultrasound is already integrated into initial training and daily practice in general medicine. WONCA Europe recommends tailored training during the General Practice residency, followed by continuous professional development. Several Residency General Practice Departments (RGPDs) are introducing POCUS teaching within their programs.By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: Understand the context and importance of integrating POCUS into General Practice residency programs. Identify key elements for designing a POCUS teaching program. Develop a roadmap for implementing POCUS teaching in their own residency programs.Teaching methods: The workshop will use active learning methods, combining individual and small-group work, plenary discussions, and short presentations by facilitators. Participants' expectations and prior knowledge will be explored. The facilitation strategy will encourage interaction and exchange among participants. Workshop schedule (60 minutes): Welcome and introduction (10 min): Presentation of the workshop, objectives, and exploration of participants' expectations using an interactive tool. Context and existing programs (5 min): Overview of the context, existing POCUS programs in some RGPDs, and the workshop's objectives. Role-playing simulations (15 min): Simulated teaching sessions (in a room equipped with ultrasound machine). All participants will comment and critique these simulations to identify key points for program development. Small-group workshops (10 min): Participants will be divided into three groups. Each group will address a specific question and appoint a rapporteur: "Temporal planning: from project initiation to evaluation" "Development of theoretical content" "Practical organization" Group presentations (15 min): Rapporteurs will present their group's findings. Synthesis and conclusion (5 min): Proposal of a roadmap for launching POCUS teaching.Participants will leave with a roadmap to implement POCUS teaching program in their residency curriculum.This workshop will provide participants with practical tools and a collaborative framework to integrate POCUS teaching into General Practice residency programs, fostering the dissemination of this essential skill in primary care.