Point-of-care Ultrasound Program
Thanks to the Good Friday Appeal, The Royal Children's Hospital has established a Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program (POCUS) to improve the care clinicians can provide to their patients.
POCUS empowers clinicians to conduct ultrasounds at a patient’s bedside, rather than a medical imaging specialist or sonographer. POCUS will be used to answer specific clinical questions to assist clinicians in decision-making as they gather information on the patient including their medical history and physical examinations.
Research increasingly shows that POCUS programs can hasten clinical diagnosis, inform the clinician about ordering subsequent medical imaging, make invasive procedures less painful, improve procedural success, improve patient flow, and increase patient satisfaction.
To support the new POCUS program, new ultrasound machines have been acquired for use around the hospital. These ultrasound machines will enable direct integration with hospital technology and will ensure each department has the equipment they need to implement POCUS.
Once successfully implemented, POCUS will decrease the demand for Medical Imaging appointments and improve the care clinicians can provide to their patients.
Posted June 2018
Image: RCH Melbourne – Creative Service Photography
Explore More
