Ultrasound for new users: What you need to know

Ultrasound is showing up at more and more primary care environments.¹ In multiple areas of specialization, general practitioners (GPs) use ultrasound scans to expedite diagnosis, enhance the quality and convenience of care, and improve the overall patient experience.² 

However, with this increasingly frequent integration comes an oft-steep learning curve that GPs must navigate and overcome to build scan proficiency and maximize diagnostic confidence.³ The ability to quickly learn these systems and leverage them toward patient care is also critical to maximizing your practice's return on investment. 

Here's a look at some of the "must-knows" for every new ultrasound user. 

Ultrasound uses in primary care 

While some ultrasound applications are undoubtedly familiar, its scope of capabilities are likely wider than many may think. Ultrasound can serve several distinct purposes in the primary care paradigm, including: 

• Physical exams. Determining properties and characteristics of masses, identifying fetal positioning, and more. 

• Procedural guidance. MSK injections, breast, and thyroid biopsies, and more. 

• Diagnostic guidance. Identifying presence of cyst or mass, gallstones, presence of fluid, and more. 

• Multi-organ scans. Determining the linkage of different urgent and long-term health issues to specific organs, such as the liver, kidney, heart, and gallbladder. 

These four pillars represent a variety of clinical scenarios that can enhance proficiency, build experience, and help new ultrasound users treat entirely new patient populations. 

Understanding the different types of ultrasound scans 

Not all ultrasound processes are the same, and an understanding of related terms can ease communications with both patients and fellow clinicians.⁴ Types of available ultrasound include: 

• 2D Ultrasound. Scan that creates a two-dimensional cross-sectional (flat) image. 

• 3D Ultrasound. Scan that uses angles to create a three-dimensional (depth perception) image. 

• 4D Ultrasound. Scan that uses angles to resemble movement under the skin, in a four-dimensional (moving) image. 

• Specialization-specific Ultrasound. Specialized scans can include aortic, cranial, obstetric, thyroid, transvaginal, transrectal, and more. 

Don't bite off more than you can view 

Though GPs may be able to perform simpler scans with the right systems and features, others are best left to imaging specialists with the knowledge, infrastructure, and personnel to manage them. Factors like anatomical variability, tissue depth, and the location of the scanning area can dictate the complexity of exams. For example, a GP could likely handle simple abdominal scans to assess organ structures and anomalies but may find more complex scans—such as fetal cardiac abnormalities—more challenging. 

If you're a practice owner or administrator, carefully evaluate the levels of expertise and specialties of the clinicians in your organization to ensure that your ultrasound system aligns with your team's current knowledge and capabilities. Clinicians who are new to ultrasound should start with impactful procedures that are easy to perform and interpret. 

Where to start and what to focus on 

Some of the most easily accessible scan applications for beginner ultrasound in primary care environments include: 

• Scanning and diagnosing basic abdominal conditions 

• Scanning and diagnosing basic musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions 

• Bladder obstruction in pelvic abdominal scans 

• Identifying and measuring pleural effusion in the chest 

With some of today's systems, users can begin with the above and then take on more complex scans as their resources and capabilities increase. 

Get an ultrasound system that offers maximum versatility 

GPs have to be the proverbial jack-of-all-trades when it comes to patient care, and they need an ultrasound system that can manage the versatility of their workload. 

A system that offers plug-in availability for condition-specific transducers can help you scan a full range of areas. Further, the right system can help you overcome traditional learning obstacles that have inhibited primary care integration in the past. 

Perhaps you want to start off by doing simple abdominal scans at your practice and eventually branch out into MSK conditions. Perhaps your patient demographics are changing, and you need a system to meet their shifting treatment needs. As your practice becomes more comfortable with ultrasound, these systems offer the opportunity to scale up, learn new scanning techniques, and provide care to a wider array of patients. 

What other features are out there for ultrasound beginners? 

Clinicians who are new to ultrasound can and should leverage the user-friendly tools on some of today's current systems to facilitate continued learning, increase their expertise, save time, and ensure maximum exam accuracy. 

These include tools that allow you to optimize images with the push of a button, even when you're moving between anatomical structures. Standardized protocols help clinicians more readily dial in scan presets, and voice comment tools let you record comments that can be played back during review. In addition, AI-enabled workflow tools help you save time and increase productivity while scanning a higher volume of patients each day. 

Take advantage of training and education 

Certain systems also offer comprehensive training and education as part of their service and operational agreements. The best of these goes well beyond set-up, installing a dedicated support person to help you and your staff learn the ins and outs of your system more quickly, answer questions, and preview different functionalities in action. 

It's also important to look for a system that offers expedient support in case of an operability issue or breakdown. It's easy to make mistakes when applying a new technology. The opportunity to troubleshoot issues with an expert optimizes learning, saves time on maintenance issues, and further empowers new users to take the ultrasound experience into their own hands. 

Both new and experienced ultrasound users deserve every opportunity to maximize their knowledge and expertise. The right system makes this easy.

Consider these insights when you enter the world of primary care ultrasound. 

Resources: 

4. Ihnatsenka B & Boezaart AP. Ultrasound: basic understanding and learning the language. International Journal of Shoulder Surgery. 2010;4(3), 55–62. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21472065/ 
   
   

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