POCUS Charter
| Project Name | Point of Care Ultrasound Program | ||
| Executive Sponsor(s) | Sam Wald, MD, MBA, FASA; Elizabeth Oyekan, PharmD, FCSHP, CPHQ; David Larson, MD; Judy Wood, MBA-HCM, RT(R)(MR) | Process Owners: | John Kendall, MD; Luyao Shen, MD; Cassie Enloe |
| Problem/Background & Importance | POCUS provides greater access for US-guided procedures and diagnostics to be conducted in emergency medicine and specialty areas and new hand-held technologies are significantly less expensive than standard US portable equipment (~$2K vs.~$80K). POCUS is used throughout SHC, however standardized workflows and criteria for training/competency assessments, exam conduct, image archival, interpretation, and billing are not widely established. Specifically, lack of training/competency and image archival processes pose patient safety and institutional risk. Unclear if patient exam costs will increase as POCUS portion of exams are billed. | ||
| Scope | Clinical and research use included. Procedure/diagnosis levels 1-3 only – Radiology, Cardiology, OB, and Vascular Surgery use US at Level 4 and are not included in scope. Cardiovascular audio doppler use also not in scope. Physicians and APPs using POCUS at SHC will be addressed initially (inpatient, outpatient procedures, clinics). ValleyCare and UHA areas will be incorporated later. Nursing was not initially included in scope (managed by Patient Care Services vs. Medical Staff Office), however this is under consideration for US-guided vascular access procedures and training opportunities. POCUS use in pediatric populations outside of ED will be addressed by separately by LPCH with their own program team and governance committee – SHC recommendations and learnings will be shared as local programs are developed. Ultrasound modality operations within the Imaging Services department are expected to have limited involvement with this program, however may be consulted for guidance on operational best practices. | ||
| Mission | Develop and implement local department POCUS programs across SHC which meet quality criteria identified (program supervision, training/competency, equipment procurement/use, infection control, image acquisition/archival/EMR integration, billing). Reduce theoretical patient risk by creating these standardized POCUS use parameters. Ensure specialized, comprehensive use (e.g. Level 4) is reserved for selective areas meeting a higher level of training/credentialing, image archival, QA/QC, and documentation criteria. | ||
| Vision | Licensed Independent Practitioners across the SHC enterprise using POCUS will comply with local department program requirements identified, including but not limited to training and credentialing, image acquisition and archival, interpretation documentation, and billing processes. Reduce theoretical patient risk by creating these standardized POCUS use parameters. Ensure specialized, comprehensive use (e.g. Level 4) is reserved for selective areas meeting a higher level of training/credentialing, image archival, QA/QC, and documentation criteria. | ||
| Potential Barriers/Risks |
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| Outcome Metrics, Team, Timeline for Deliverables |
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