What are the biggest barriers to a successful POCUS program?

It is clear that POCUS should be the standard of care we deliver to our patients. It improves safety, gives us diagnostic certainty, and saves costs. So why aren’t more places doing POCUS?

1.     There is no single governing body with clear recommendations on POCUS credentialing requirements and clinical use.

2.    Many specialties do not have US-trained faculty to take charge of POCUS program implementation and staff training and credentialing.

3.     A slew of novel POCUS devices makes selection process more difficult.

4.    Workflow options are limited and confusing.

5.     Billers are not familiar with POCUS reimbursement.

6.    Fears of litigation if POCUS exam is misinterpreted make some providers avoid it or use it “unofficially” (i.e., make clinical decisions based on POCUS findings but not document POCUS use in the chart).  This is debunked in this paper!

7.    Budget constraints. However, it has been shown that POCUS program pays for itself by saving costs and generating revenue.

8.    Lack of communication with IT, Biomed, billers and other clinical departments.

9.    NOT ENOUGH TIME. This is the biggest barrier. Even if there is an Ultrasound Director, clinical and teaching responsibilities almost always trump POCUS program administration, leaving this key element of a successful POCUS program to be dealt with last.

Do any of these barriers apply to your clinical practice? Reach out to us to see how Hello Sono can help you achieve POCUS excellence at your shop.