@article{10.22454/FamMed.2025.0483,
author = {Paulus, Ryan and Shen-Wagner, Joy and Christ, Carolyn and Tenegra, Johnny and Songara, Varshaben M. and Recidoro, Anthony M. and Patel, Hiten and Nguyen, Natalie and Hui, William and Dalal, Puja and Capizzano, Nicoll and Hartwell, Sally and Sloane, Philip D. and Zimmerman, Sheryl and Lefevre, Nicholas M.},
title = {A Consensus-Based Framework for POCUS Applications Tiering in Family Medicine Residency Education: A Study From the STFM POCUS Task Force},
journal = {Family Medicine},
volume = {58},
number = {9},
year = {2026},
month = {10},
pages = {644-654},
doi = {10.22454/FamMed.2025.0483},
abstract = {Background and Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use in family medicine has expanded significantly over the past decade. With POCUS training now recommended in family medicine residency education, limited evidence exists to guide curriculum development. This study aimed to establish a consensus-based tiering framework for integrating recommended POCUS applications into residency training.
Methods: Twenty-one family medicine physicians participated in a mixed-methods consensus conference. We used a modified nominal group technique to identify and weigh criteria for prioritizing the 54 family medicine POCUS applications previously defined in a 2025 Delphi study. We then used the aggregated scores for each application to generate a tiered list, which was refined through expert review.
Results: We weighted for scoring the five priority criteria identified through the modified nominal group technique. These five included impact on patient management, ease of learning, ease of teaching, applicability across family medicine, and prevalence in continuity-of-care settings. We categorized the 54 POCUS applications and refined them into five tiers: Tier 1 (6 applications), Tier 2 (11), Tier 3 (14), Tier 4 (13), and Tier 5 (8); two applications were excluded for redundancy. Tier one applications—deemed highest priority—included abscess, abscess drainage, bladder volume, knee effusion, fetal presentation, and cellulitis/edema.
Conclusions: Using a mixed-methods consensus approach, we developed a five-tiered framework to guide the integration of POCUS applications into family medicine residency curricula. This framework provides a foundation for prioritizing educational content and aligning national standards for POCUS training.},
URL = {https://journals.stfm.org//familymedicine/2026/october/paulus-0483/},
eprint = {https://journals.stfm.org//media/5jri4kpm/fammed-58-644.pdf},
}