• Julia Aogaichi Brant, Beth D'Amico, Jonathan Orsborn, Amanda G Toney, LamSamuel H FSHFFrom the Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado/Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO., Megan Mickley, and Lilliam Ambroggio.
• From the Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado/Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2024 Apr 16.

ObjectiveIt is unclear which pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) have a point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) credentialing process or if this process is consistent per expert guidelines. Our objective was to describe formalized POCUS credentialing processes across PEDs that are active in the pediatric emergency medicine POCUS (P2) Network.MethodsA survey was developed from nationally recommended credentialing guidelines. This anonymous survey was sent out to the P2 Network comprising more than 230 members involved in pediatric POCUS. The survey was analyzed using descriptive analysis with counts and percentages.ResultsA total of 36 PEDs responded to the survey. All departments had a faculty member in charge of maintaining the credentialing process, and all faculty members had POCUS education available; 88.6% of education was scheduled didactics or bedside teaching. There were 80.6% of PEDs that had a process for internally credentialing faculty. Some PEDs offered protected education for POCUS, however, 44.8% had <50% of their faculty credentialed. There were 4 PEDs that offered incentives for completion of POCUS credentialing including salary bonuses; only 1 offered shift buy down as incentive. That PED had 100% of its faculty credentialed. All PEDs performed quality assurance on POCUS scans done in the ED, most done weekly. Billing for scans occurred in 26 PEDs. Skin/soft tissue and focused assessment with sonography for trauma were the 2 most common applications credentialed.ConclusionsAmong PEDs surveyed, there was a lack of standardization of POCUS resources and components of credentialing. Incentives may be beneficial in improving credentialing faculty and standardizing the credentialing process.Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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