PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bellamkonda, Venkatesh R
AU  - Shokoohi, Hamid
AU  - Alsaawi, Abdulmohsen
AU  - Ding, Ru
AU  - Campbell, Ronna L
AU  - Liu, Yiju Teresa
AU  - Boniface, Keith S
TI  - Ultrasound credentialing in North American emergency department systems with ultrasound fellowships: a cross-sectional survey
AID  - 10.1136/emermed-2014-204112
DP  - 2015 Oct 01
TA  - Emergency Medicine Journal
PG  - 804--808
VI  - 32
IP  - 10
4099  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/32/10/804.short
4100  - http://emj.bmj.com/content/32/10/804.full
SO  - Emerg Med J2015 Oct 01; 32
AB  - Objective To describe the credentialing systems of North American emergency department systems (EDS) with emergency ultrasound (EUS) fellowship programmes.Methods This is a prospective, cross-sectional, survey-based study of North American EUS fellowships using a 62-item, pilot-tested, web-based survey instrument assessing credentialing and training systems. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) distributed the surveys using SNAP survey (Snap Surveys Ltd, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA).Results Over 6 months, 75 eligible programmes were surveyed, 55 responded (73% response rate); 1 declined to participate leaving 54 participating programmes. Less than 20% of EDS credential nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and students in EUS. Respondent EDS reported having an average of 4.2±3.3 ultrasound faculty members (faculty identifying their career focus as EUS). The median number of annual point-of-care ultrasounds reported was 5000 (IQR 3000–8000). 30 EDS (56%) credential each examination individually and 48 EDS (89%) use ACEP credentialing criteria. 61% of fellowship leadership believe their credentialing system is either satisfactory or very satisfactory (Cronbach's coefficient α=0.84).Conclusions The data show heterogeneity among North American EDS with EUS fellowship programmes with regard to credentialing systems despite published guidelines from the ACEP and Canadian Emergency Ultrasound Society.