ArticleBMC medical education2025
Perceptions and barriers to the use and training of point-of-care ultrasound among Finnish emergency physicians - a nationwide survey.
Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Stroke-point-of-care ultrasound: a new holistic approach to bedside evaluation in stroke patients using ultrasound.European stroke journal · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPoint-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become integral to emergency medicine (EM) as a critical diagnostic support tool. In Finland, where EM was formally recognised as a specialty as recently as in 2013, a historical lack of systematic training for POCUS has existed. Such training has largely depended on individual initiative rather than a standardised program while many other areas of EM training have already seen the introduction of structured education. The aim of this study is to identify key factors and barriers influencing POCUS training, with the goal of improving its quality and delivery.
methodsA nationwide survey was conducted among emergency physicians, trainees, and specialists across Finnish emergency departments from late 2020 to early 2021. The survey included detailed questions on POCUS training, perceived barriers to training, experiences of the successful initiation of more structured approaches, as well as attitudes towards the integration of POCUS into clinical practice. Statistical methods for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data were used.
resultsA total of 134 emergency physicians completed the survey, revealing a strong consensus among participants for several training needs. Key barriers identified include inadequate training, limited supervision, device availability, and time allocation. Notably, out of all open-ended questions, 96.5% of respondents called for the initiation of structured training programs that accommodate both foundational and advanced practitioner needs. Furthermore, hands-on training and senior support were highly valued.
conclusionsThe results highlight a need for reform in POCUS training in Finland, demonstrating a need for structured, competency-based educational frameworks that align with international standards. Improvements on training infrastructure, including enhanced mentorship and increased access to ultrasound equipment, are essential enablers of such a reform. CLINICAL
trial registrationNot applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.