We use a multifactorial approach to ultrasound education and will be training physicians in the emergency department of Punta Gorda Community Hospital (where they currently only have X-ray available; a portable ultrasound will be distributed with the course for longitudinal use at this site) and Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA), the tertiary hospital for the country. This will involve multiple lectures, practicum scanning workshops and clinical scanning shifts focused on the cardiac, pulmonary, biliary, renal, vascular, ocular, and musculoskeletal systems. During workshops and scanning shifts in the clinical setting, I will provide real-time feedback and image review for quality assurance and quality improvement. I plan to also give dedicated lectures on the use of ultrasound in trauma and undifferentiated hypotension. These lectures are to be given in conjunction with longitudinal ultrasound lecture series provided by the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Department of Emergency Medicine and will provide longitudinal ultrasound education to allow multiple physicians at various levels the opportunity to learn and/or improve their ultrasound skills and incorporate the use of ultrasound in their daily practice. Ultrasound is a particularly useful imaging modality in resource limited and/or austere settings where other imaging modalities (such as X-Ray, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging) may not be accessible.
The physicians and patients who receive care in Belize City and Punta Gorda (catchment of approx. 150,000 persons). The physicians will have the opportunity to obtain and/or hone their sonography skills. Patients will benefit from swift diagnosis with bedside/Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). These locations were chosen due to strong established relationships with the Belize Ministry of Health and KHMHA and need for training in remote areas (PGCH) without current ultrasonography available, and advanced training at the tertiary care center for the country (KHMHA).
The expected impact is increased efficiency and accuracy of predicting emergent conditions through POCUS in both remote and tertiary settings. This is meant to be the pilot of a long-term modular effort with continuous quality assurance by ultrasound faculty from BCM and its partners. The sonography practice of trainees will be monitored post-training through review of their clinical images and interpretations and they will be given feedback to continue to improve their sonography skills.
The physicians and patients who receive care in Belize City and Punta Gorda (catchment of approx. 150,000 persons). The physicians had the opportunity to obtain and/or hone their sonography skills. Patients have and will continue to benefit from swift diagnosis with bedside/Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS).
