Table 3.

Potential components and formats of emergency medicine point of care ultrasound curriculum and assessment

Educational component	Rationale	Potential format (including assessment)
Foundation physics applied to USI*	Enables understanding of foundation principles of USI generation, limitations, artefacts and their management, etc.	Can be didactic learning material; can be asynchronous or module based; assessment format should test understanding and relevance rather than simply information retention
Image optimisation*	Enables image management to enhance confidence in image interpretation. Particularly relevant in time-critical situations, compromised resource circumstances, etc.	Theoretical elements overlap with “Foundation physics applied to USI” Practical application could be taught and assessed as stand-alone (e.g., using phantoms) and/or within clinical scenarios
Professional considerations such as image taking, integration within patient records and reporting, infection control, etc.*	Core elements to professional use of USI; including generic healthcare considerations	Can be didactic learning material; assessment format should test understanding and relevance rather than simply information retention Could be integrated within clinical scenarios
EM PoCUS applications: Grouped according to clinical presentation, organ/system or clinical application/procedural∆	The USI performed + the interpretation/reporting of that USI + the clinical decision making informed by that USI In relation to the imaging techniques performed, includes consideration of what USI is not performed and/or the interpretation/reporting not undertaken from that USI and/or the clinical decision making not informed by that USI	Can be didactic learning material covering clinical indications/scenarios Practical scanning training could include healthy volunteers and scan trainers alongside actual patients. Emphasis is on directly supervised scanning experience, supplemented by peer-learning, on-line material, etc. Competency assessment should include “log book” of scans with reflective account + directly observed clinical scanning in controlled environment (e.g., OSCE format, previously unseen clinical patient, etc.)

*Core or generic, ^∆Category-specific. OSCE: Objective structured clinical examination, PoCUS: Point of care ultrasound, EM: Emergency medicine, USI: Ultrasound imaging