ArticleThe ultrasound journal2026
From concepts to evaluation: mapping approaches to POCUS training assessment in low- and middle-income countries - a systematic scoping review.
Article in The ultrasound journal, 2026. 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
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- POCUS for the People: A Rounds-Integrated Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum for Medical Students at a Guatemalan Public Hospital.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPoint-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training programs are increasingly implemented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to strengthen diagnostic capacity. Qualitative and sustainable implementation of POCUS capacity requires evaluation of training concepts and programs. In this review we collate approaches of how POCUS training programs and trainee competencies are evaluated in LMICs.
methodsThis review presents a secondary analysis of data from a previous systematic scoping review that included 53 original studies on POCUS training in LMICs, identified through July 2023. Reported evaluation methods for POCUS training were extracted and categorized according to the Donabedian (structure - process - outcome) and Miller/De Biasio (levels of competence) frameworks. Data synthesis focused on the type, timing, and scope of evaluation across structural, procedural, and outcome domains.
resultsPOCUS training evaluation approaches were highly heterogeneous, with most studies using multiple methods. Pre- and post-course assessments predominated, focusing mainly on knowledge and technical skills. Competence evaluations covered all levels of the Miller/De Biasio framework, though most targeted lower-order levels, while workplace-based assessments were infrequent. When mapped to Donabedian's model, outcome evaluations dominated, whereas structural and process assessments were inconsistently reported. Few studies demonstrated contextual adaptation, validity testing, or long-term evaluation of training outcomes.
conclusionsPOCUS training evaluation in LMICs remains inconsistent and focuses primarily on short-term outcomes and basic competency levels. Applying Donabedian's and Miller/De Biasio's frameworks reveals critical evaluation deficiencies across system and learner dimensions and establishes a conceptional basis for more comprehensive and sustainable POCUS evaluation strategies.
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.