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- Page navigation anchor for RE: General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Appropriate Use of Ultrasonography in Primary Care in Denmark: A Multistage Mixed Methods StudyRE: General Practitioners’ Perspectives on Appropriate Use of Ultrasonography in Primary Care in Denmark: A Multistage Mixed Methods Study
As the breadth of primary care (PC) practice continues to evolve, discussing point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) by general practitioners (GPs) as a means of streamlining and expanding PC treatment options is very timely. This may be a novel concept to many, as it was for us, so we believe it is crucial to highlight. In terms of mixed-methods study design and execution, the combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies allowed for a deep understanding of the material through detailed data presentation. As aspiring healthcare professionals, we were intrigued to learn about the impact of POCUS in a country such as Denmark with a long-standing universal healthcare system in place and widespread PC access.
In reviewing the study, one key point that stood out to us was the disagreement among GPs on what examinations should be performed. Qualitative findings suggested that GPs’ POCUS examinations should be dependent on their population, location, and areas of interest. Keeping in mind that differences between populations exist, we are curious to know if these findings are generalizable to other countries beyond Denmark. Furthermore, we believe that clarification is warranted in regards to specific POCUS guidelines that should be used to standardize patient safety among GPs. Since the interviews used in this study were conducted between 2016-2017, we are curious to know whether this study prompted development of continuing medical education POCUS training fo...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared. - Page navigation anchor for RE: What is appropriate use of sonography in general practice?RE: What is appropriate use of sonography in general practice?
The article for discussion is Andersen CA, Guetterman TC, Fetters MD, Brodersen J, Davidsen AS, Graumann O, et al. General Practitioners' Perspectives on Appropriate Use of Ultrasonography in Primary Care in Denmark: A Multistage Mixed Methods Study. Ann Fam Med. 2022;20(3):211-9.
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The scope of this article is to assess Danish general practitioners’ (GPs’) understanding of what is considered appropriate use of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) in general practice and to investigate differences between GPs’ attitudes and their actual practices (1). Andersen and her colleagues used an exploratory sequential approach combining both qualitative and quantitative methods to elucidate this topic.
What is POCUS? The term was introduced by Moore in 2011 (2). POCUS is used in many fields of medicine both as a diagnostic aid and for procedural support. Screening programs may utilize POCUS as well. GPs use POCUS as part of the patient examination in addition to the patient’s history, physical examination and laboratory tests. Several organs can be scanned: Heart, lungs, aorta, abdominal organs, and gynecological/obstetrics or musculoskeletal scans can be done among others (3-8). POCUS has been part of GPs’ toolbox since the early 1980-ies (9-11). The use of POCUS in general practice has increased in the recent years (6, 12). GPs do not perform a comprehensive check like radiologists do, but rather a focused examination to rule-in or rule-out a suspected clinical co...Competing Interests: I am part of a Norwegian research group in general practice that will do a Norwegian version of Andersen's GULD study