Consensus on relevant point-of-care ultrasound skills in General Practice: a two-round French Delphi study

Abstract

Context Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important tool in the clinical practice of many specialties, but its use and impact in General Practice in France remains to be explored. Objective The objective of this study is to obtain a consensus among experienced French general practitioners on a list of relevant POCUS skills in General Practice in 4 anatomical regions. Method We used a two-round Delphi method to obtain a consensus. An initial list of skills was drawn by conducting a literature review. To rate each skill, we used a nine-point Likert scale. An interactive meeting between experts took place between Delphi rounds. POCUS experts in General Practice were defined as general practitioners with theoretical training in ultrasound who regularly perform ultrasound, who have performed ultrasound for more than five years and/or are involved in providing ultrasound training. Results 11 French general practitioners screened 83 skills in 4 anatomical regions: abdominal, urogenital, vascular, gynecology and obstetrics. An agreement was obtained for 36 POCUS skills as to their appropriateness in General Practice. There were 17 skills with a strong appropriate agreement (100% of “7–9” ratings) and 19 skills with a relative agreement (100% of “5–9” ratings). Conclusion These skills could serve as a basis for guidelines on the use and curriculum of POCUS in General Practice in France as well as in other countries with similar healthcare systems.