HCCIntelligence™ Webinar Recording: Introduction to Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for the Home Care Provider

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The HCCIntelligence™ webinar held on November 18, 2020, focused on the use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for home care providers. Dr. Paul Wallace and Dr. Daniel Kim led the session, aiming to introduce POCUS modalities and their applications for homebound patients.<br /><br />The webinar's objectives included increasing awareness of key POCUS applications, understanding its indications and the underlying evidence, basic principles of POCUS, image interpretation, and strategies for skill development.<br /><br />Several POCUS applications were discussed:<br /><br />1. **Lung Ultrasound:**<br />   - Used for diagnosing interstitial edema, alveolar fluid, fibrosis, pneumonia, and other conditions by interpreting ultrasound images and specific lines such as A-lines and B-lines.<br />   - Cases of chronic heart failure (CHF) and pneumonia were highlighted to demonstrate the utility of lung ultrasounds in assessing conditions like pulmonary edema.<br /><br />2. **Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) and Internal Jugular Vein (IJ) Ultrasound:**<br />   - IVC measurements can indicate fluid status and guide therapy in heart failure by assessing size and collapsibility.<br />   - IJ ultrasound was recognized as more accurate than clinical assessment of jugular venous pressure (JVP).<br /><br />3. **Cardiac Ultrasound:**<br />   - Evaluates ejection fraction, wall motion, and pericardial effusion by imaging different cardiac views like parasternal long and short axis, and subxyphoid.<br /><br />4. **Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Ultrasound:**<br />   - Important for detecting clots in the femoral and popliteal vein through compression techniques, with high specificity and sensitivity demonstrated in various studies.<br /><br />5. **Bladder Ultrasound:**<br />   - Used for assessing urinary retention and bladder volumes. <br /><br />6. **Soft Tissue Ultrasound:**<br />   - Utilized for identifying abscesses and cellulitis, influencing management decisions between drainage and antibiotics.<br /><br />Challenges to POCUS adoption were discussed, including time constraints, technology access, training, and traditional practices. The webinar emphasized the importance of skill building through training resources like ultrasound podcasts, YouTube tutorials, and specialized courses.<br /><br />HCCIntelligence also invited participants to engage in ongoing educational opportunities, including future webinars, virtual office hours, and various support resources offered by the Home Centered Care Institute. <br /><br />Future events and coding impacts were also noted, stressing the adaptation to coding changes and virtual services post-PHE. To ensure continuous improvement and application of POCUS knowledge, practitioners were encouraged to leverage available resources and mentorship opportunities.
Keywords
POCUS
home care
ultrasound
lung ultrasound
cardiac ultrasound
DVT ultrasound
bladder ultrasound
soft tissue ultrasound
training resources
HCCIntelligence