Integration of point-of-care ultrasound in Canadian paediatric residency education: a national survey
Tori Kendall, Gillian Sheppard, Andrew BorodovskiAbstract
Introduction
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an emerging diagnostic and procedural tool in paediatric medicine. POCUS-specific competencies have been incorporated into selected paediatric subspecialty training programs, including paediatric emergency medicine and paediatric critical care. Despite its expanding role in paediatric practice, no national standards exist for POCUS integration into general paediatric residency training in Canada. Variability in residency-level training may contribute to inconsistencies in clinical practice, with implications for patient safety, diagnostic accuracy, and standards of care. This study aimed to evaluate the current integration of POCUS education in Canadian paediatric residency programs and identify system-level barriers to implementation.
Methods
A national, cross-sectional assessment was conducted using an electronic questionnaire distributed to program directors representing 17 eligible Canadian paediatric residency programs between June and November 2025. The assessment evaluated program characteristics, including formal and informal POCUS inclusion, instructional methods, regional variances, and perceived barriers. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses.
Results
Twelve of 17 (71%) Canadian paediatric program directors responded. Only one program reported a formal POCUS curriculum, while four programs offered elective-based POCUS exposure. The most commonly reported barriers to implementation were lack of national curriculum standardization and limited curricular time (83%), followed by insufficient numbers of trained faculty, limited funding and limited access to equipment (75%).
Conclusion
Despite evidence for the integration of POCUS into paediatric practice, formal paediatric residency-level POCUS training in Canada remains limited and highly variable. These findings highlight a national gap between clinical expectations and training opportunities.