Evaluating and assessing the prevalence of bedside ultrasound in emergency departments in China

Background: To survey the prevalence of bedside ultrasound assessment in emergency departments (EDs) in China. Methods: We designed an online survey for emergency physicians based in the China. The questionnaire included sixteen items querying common ED bedside ultrasound practices. Respondents were recruited via weblinks sent through social media and a popular Chinese emergency medicine website. Survey data was collected from April through June, 2016. Results: Four hundred and twenty-eight physicians responded to this survey; more than 80% of respondents reported working clinically in the ED. Ninety-eight percent of respondents agreed on the clinical importance and value of bedside ultrasound. However, less than half of participants' EDs had ultrasound devices, and less than half of the respondents said they knew how to perform bedside ultrasound. Less than 20% of respondents reported having had formal training in bedside ultrasound. Conclusions: There is a strong interest in bedside ultrasound in Chinese EDs. Emergency physicians participating in this study considered bedside ultrasound a necessary skill, but, because there is a lack of training, most emergency physicians reported they did not know how to perform bedside ultrasonography. There is likely an acute desire and need for bedside ultrasound training for Chinese emergency physicians.