J Perinatol. 2025 Apr 22. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02307-z. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess diagnostic point of care ultrasound (POCUS) use, presence of programmatic infrastructural elements, and barriers to implementation across neonatal perinatal medicine (NPM) programs in the United States.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. An online survey was distributed to leaders in education or POCUS at ACGME-accredited NPM fellowship programs. National trends were outlined using descriptive statistics and compared by program size.
RESULT: 79 of 99 (80%) NPM programs responded. Diagnostic POCUS was available at 71% (n = 56) of sites that responded. Key infrastructural elements were present at <45% of sites, with fellow training being the exception (71%). Many barriers to diagnostic POCUS program implementation were identified and they differed by program size.
CONCLUSION: Diagnostic POCUS is being increasingly adopted despite underdeveloped programmatic infrastructure. Identified barriers suggest a need for collaborative efforts to support the necessary infrastructural elements, and differences by program size suggest a need for tailored approaches for successful integration.
PMID:40263426 | DOI:10.1038/s41372-025-02307-z
