CJEM
-
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a rapidly evolving and clinically significant skill set that has potential for improving patient care for the approximately 7 million Canadians living in rural and under-resourced environments. A national appraisal of rural POCUS training and utilization is needed to understand barriers to funding and training for rural emergency physicians in Canada. The primary objective of this study was to determine the current level of training and types of POCUS utilization by rural emergency physicians in Canada. The secondary objective was to describe the barriers to POCUS use. ⋯ POCUS is used daily for patient care in rural Canadian emergency departments. Despite widespread access to POCUS, rural emergency physicians face significant barriers in training and utilization.