Evaluating Public and Scientific Interest in Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Google Trends Analysis from 2007 to 2021

Abstract

Objective As researchers continue to explore point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in various clinical settings, it becomes increasingly imperative to anticipate patients’ interests and respond effectively to advancements in imaging using POCUS-related search trend analyses. The purpose of this study was to compare the public interest in POCUS to the published literature on this topic from 2007 to 2021 using Google Trends (GT). Methods Google Trends (GT) data were obtained from 2015 to 2021 for the following terms: point-of-care ultrasound, portable ultrasound, transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, regional ultrasound, FAST ultrasound, focused ultrasound, trauma ultrasound, rapid ultrasound. Annual publication data related to POCUS was collected from PubMed by filtering for the same terms and duration. Univariate linear regression was performed to determine whether there was a significant correlation between GT search volumes and PubMed publication data. Potential temporal trends were analyzed by calculating the deviation in interest for each month against the respective mean interest for each search term that returned a statistically significant positive correlation to PubMed publication data. Results POCUS-related publication frequency ( R2 = 0.89, P = 0.001) on PubMed demonstrated a significant linear relationship with time. When assessing trends in public interest over time, the following search terms demonstrated significant associations: point-of-care ultrasound ( R2 = 0.76, P = 0.011), portable ultrasound ( R2 = 0.68, P = 0.022), regional ultrasound ( R2 = 0.67, P = 0.024), and FAST ultrasound ( R2 = 0.67, P = 0.025). Univariate linear regression revealed statistically significant positive correlations between GT search volume trends and POCUS-related publication frequency on PubMed for point-of-care ultrasound ( R2 = 0.67, P = 0.024) and regional ultrasound ( R2 = 0.80, P = 0.006). Conclusions This study highlights the significant growth in public and scientific interest in point-of-care ultrasound over time. These findings aim to prepare clinicians for a rise in patient encounters during which POCUS may be a point of discussion, education, or concern.