Credentialing Criteria for Independent Privileges in Emergency Ultrasonography
All physicians applying for privileges to independently perform and interpret emergency ultrasonography in the Department of Emergency Medicine shall be licensed in the state of New York and have a thorough understanding of the indications and guidelines for ultrasound examinations as well as familiarity with basic physical principles and limitations of the technology of ultrasound imaging. As part of their medical training they will be familiar with alternative and complimentary imaging and diagnostic procedures, and should be capable of correlating the results of these other procedures with the ultrasound examination findings and be familiar with the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of those organs or anatomic areas that are being examined. They will have an understanding of ultrasound technology and instrumentation, ultrasound power output, equipment calibration, and safety.
These physicians will be required to provide evidence of training and requisite competence needed to successfully perform and interpret diagnostic ultrasound examinations in their practice. The training should include methods of documentation and reporting of ultrasound studies. Additionally the physician applicant will meet the following:
• Be an attending physician with privileges in the Department of Emergency Medicine at North Shore University Hospital.
• Have completed 50 continuing medical education credits in ultrasound-related educational activity. Introductory ultrasound courses taken must contain not only didactic but also hands-on teaching components.
• Have 300 completed ultrasound studies documented in a log with hard copy or videotape documentation of each examination. Each of these ultrasound examinations must have been supervised by a qualified ultrasonographer or have been followed by an appropriate diagnostic study to verify the results of the ultrasound examination.
• Each applicant must demonstrate proficiency in each application for which he or she is requesting privileges. These minimums must be met for the physician to independently perform any of the applications listed.
• Descriptions of each application are listed in the scope of practice.
• Proficiency will be judged by the director of emergency ultrasonography and will be based on aforementioned minimal criteria as well as personal observation of the applicants’ ability to correctly obtain and interpret images on patients.
• Any physician meeting minimum criteria of 300 ultrasound examinations as well as CME criteria must then be judged competent to perform each type of examination by the director of emergency ultrasonography. This determination shall be made by direct observation of the physicians scanning ability in a number of examinations to be specified individually by the director of ultrasound.
Source: Michael Blaivas, MD, RDMS, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY.
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