Background/Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an accessible and low-cost diagnostic tool that is seldom used by orthopedic residents. This study aims to assess the efficacy of a POCUS training program within an orthopedic surgery residency curriculum in terms of knowledge retention and clinical usage among the group of residents. Methods: This study included didactic and hands-on teaching sessions. The impact of the teaching sessions was evaluated through surveys (pre-course, immediate post-course, and 6 months post-course). The surveys were divided into three sections: participant’s interest in and usage of POCUS, ultrasound-related knowledge, and perceived limitations related to the usage of ultrasound. All orthopedic residents who attended the teaching sessions and completed all the surveys were included. Results: There were 14 participants. There was a significant increase in interest in POCUS (scale 1 to 5) from 3.36 ± 0.50 in the pre-course survey to 3.93 ± 0.83 in the final post-course survey (p = 0.04). However, there was no significant change in the amount of POCUS usage in clinical settings. Levels of comfort with ultrasound-related procedures significantly increased immediately following the teaching session but did not stay significantly higher after 6 months. When tested on knowledge, the residents’ scores were still significantly greater than they were at the time of the pre-course test at 6 months (p = 0.01). Lack of ultrasound-related knowledge, lack of time, and site culture were the two most prevalent perceived barriers. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that POCUS teaching for orthopedic residents yields long-term benefits in terms of interest and knowledge. However, recurrent teaching sessions and further efforts are required to address perceived obstacles to PoCUS usage and increase clinical implementation.
Chergui et al. (Tue,) studied this question.