Feasibility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training and Remote Quality Assurance for Community Physicians in Conflict-Affected Syria

Meir Medical Center9 enrolled

Overview

Background: POCUS can extend diagnostic capabilities where conventional imaging is unavailable, yet evidence on its implementation in active conflict zones remains scarce. We describe the feasibility of a POCUS training, device deployment, and remote quality assurance program for community physicians working in village clinics in Syria. Methods: Nine physicians from five community clinics participated in a two-day in-person POCUS training course adapted to a conflict-affected, resource-constrained setting. The curriculum focused on cardiac, lung, FAST, and soft-tissue applications. At course completion, each clinic received a handheld Butterfly ultrasound device. Participants subsequently uploaded examinations to a cloud-based platform for remote expert review and feedback. Outcomes included immediate post-course satisfaction, perceived confidence, and early post-course POCUS use over follow-up.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Training

Interventions

Training in POCUSOTHER

Training in point of care ultrasound

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria:Nine physicians from five community clinics serving villages in a region of Syria that cannot be further specified for security reasons participated in the program. Participants represented several medical specialties and were selected in collaboration with IFA based on their involvement in frontline community care and their anticipated ability to integrate POCUS into clinical practice. \- Exclusion Criteria:None \-

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

immediate post-course satisfaction

Immediately after the course, all nine participants completed a feedback questionnaire assessing course delivery, instructor quality, content, hands-on practice, perceived confidence, and anticipated clinical utility

Time frame: Immediately after the completion of the course