Kerry Bittner Communications Award Winner

Point-of-Care ultrasound (POCUS) is the use of ultrasound imaging devices at the bedside of patients. It provides a quick and accurate picture of the heart and lungs. Common clinical use includes the assessment of shortness of breath to determine whether the cause is heart- or lung-related.

While POCUS devices are now widely available, not all providers have the training and expertise to conduct POCUS. The Goal of ARCTICA is to create a Tele-POCUS training program and consultation service for providers who currently do not use POCUS in their practice.

The program will begin at St. Boniface and Health Sciences Centre, where physicians will be taught using a novel technologic platform incorporating augmented reality to learn new POCUS skills. To continue their learning and ensure they are making accurate diagnoses, experts in heart and lung ultrasound will give live video consultations to these physicians through a secure video call app. These video consultations will allow the heart and lung ultrasound experts to guide physicians as they diagnose patients directly at the bedside.

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The benefits of POCUS

The ability of a remote health care provider to use point of care ultrasound safely after ARCTICA training to rapidly assess, diagnose and initiate management that could lead to improved patient care and clinical outcomes, all while receiving real-time oversight from POCUS experts. ARCTICA could also allow for the triage of who may need medical evacuation from a remote or rural community for more advanced diagnostics or who could be kept in their home community for medical management. The socioeconomic impact of this is thought to be positive and will be assessed in phase two and three of ARCTICA.