Ultrasound is integral to modern clinical care, but primary healthcare institutions often face equipment, staffing, and quality-control challenges that produce inconsistent imaging and undermine diagnostic reliability. This study evaluated interregional differences in ultrasound quality control across Jiangsu Province to inform resource allocation and policy. This study aimed to analyze the current status of ultrasound quality control in primary healthcare institutions across different regions of Jiangsu Province. We conducted province-wide ultrasound quality-control management using a targeted electronic instrument, The Jiangsu Provincial Survey Questionnaire on Ultrasound Medical Quality Control in Primary Healthcare Institutions. A random sample of 61 primary-care ultrasound departments was surveyed. Seven indicators were analyzed: staffing, number of ultrasound examinations, physician-to-patient ratio, ratio of ultrasound physicians to diagnostic devices, number of critical-value notifications, positive rate of ultrasound reports, and diagnostic concordance rate. Between-group comparisons employed 1-way analysis of variance or Kruskal–Wallis tests according to normality and variance homogeneity; categorical variables were compared using χ 2 tests, with significance at.05. No statistically significant regional differences were observed for the number of ultrasound physicians, number of sonographers (technologists), sonographers’ educational attainment, the ratio of physicians to ultrasound diagnostic devices, or the positive rate of ultrasound reports. Significant differences were found for physicians’ educational attainment ( χ 2 = 13.554, P = .006) and for annual number of examinations ( F = 3.171, P = .049). Significant regional differences in physician-to-patient ratio, number of critical-value notifications, and diagnostic concordance rate ( H = 6.982, 8.170 and 7.061; P = .030, .018 and .029). Pairwise comparisons showed that physicians’ educational levels in Southern Jiangsu and Central Jiangsu were significantly higher than in Northern Jiangsu ( χ 2 = 9.452 and 6.984; both P = .006). The annual number of examinations in Central Jiangsu exceeded that in Southern Jiangsu ( P = .015). The physician-to-patient ratio in Southern Jiangsu was higher than in Central Jiangsu ( P = .010). Northern Jiangsu reported more critical-value notifications than Southern Jiangsu ( P = .004). Diagnostic concordance rate in Southern Jiangsu was higher than in Northern Jiangsu ( P = .009). Significant interregional disparities in ultrasound quality control exist in Jiangsu’s healthcare institutions. Targeted workforce development, optimized facility allocation, quality-control systems, and collaboration are needed to enhance diagnostic safety, equity, and outcomes.
Zhou et al. (2026) studied this question.