Point-of-care Ultrasound in Primary Care in Japan: Current Situation and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become increasingly employed in recent years. POCUS is the concept of quickly assessing for conditions using ultrasound based on the patient history and physical examinations to make a clinical decision in a timely manner. This concept has been developed and widely used in emergency medicine and other specialties, and has spread to primary care over the past several years. In Japan, POCUS is not well-known in primary care, but the importance of primary care physicians using ultrasound has been reported since the 1990s. However, many physicians depend on higher imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), instead of ultrasound. Although the benefits of integrating POCUS into primary care have been documented, the barriers of POCUS being employed by primary care physicians include a shortage of educational resources and time during busy practice. As primary care settings in Japan vary, such as clinics, hospitals and patient homes, the indications and required skills for POCUS differ. A standardized training curriculum for POCUS needs to be developed according to the primary care setting.