{
  "abstract": "Background For 12 years our hospice has been fortunate to have the voluntary services of a highly experienced sonographer, however, this service will not continue forever, and is limited to their availability (2 afternoons/week). Our sonographer performs 72 scans each year on average. The loss of the service would have a huge impact on care. We recognise that ultrasound scanning requires a high skill level and it is recommended practice to use ultrasound guidance for paracentesis to ensure adequate fluid for drainage, and that a safe insertion site away from organs is identified (Cho, Jensen, Reierson, et al. J Hosp Med. 2019 Jan 2;14:E7-E15). Ultimately we hope to bring the service into the homes of the individuals we care for to maximise their time spent at home and avoid unnecessary admissions (Myers, Howe, Jia, et al. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2024;25(2):375-380; García-Gil, Beltrán-Romero, Flox-Benítez, et al. Rev Clin Esp (Barc). 2023;223(6):371-378), by facilitating prompt symptom management to promote improved quality of life (Monteiro, França de Santana, Morais, et al. Cureus. 2024 Mar 5;16(3):e55573).Aim To train up members of the clinical team to enable them to perform focused abdominal scans, with ongoing support and training from our volunteer sonographer.Methods Three senior doctors trained on a Focussed Abdominal Ultrasound in Palliative Care (FASP) course in October 2024. Review of documentation of scans performed in subsequent six month period to assess whether scanning had increased, and whether this was appropriate, i.e. followed standards of the FASP course (Lee. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2016;6:A38).Results In the six months following completion of the course, our doctors have performed 21 scans, and the sonographer has performed 26 scans. All scans had a documented clinical indication. So although number of total scans has slightly increased, the number performed by our sonographer has vastly decreased.Conclusion More scans are being performed due to greater availability of trained staff. More trained staff offers the versatility to branch out and offer domiciliary scans for those less able to attend outpatient appointments. Ongoing support from the expert sonographer for newly trained staff to build on skills will help to future-proof this service.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Saint Francis Hospice, Romford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Pippa Russell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Saint Francis Hospice, Romford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jo Eastman"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-51 Future proofing a skillset: Training up our medical workforce in ultrasound scanning",
  "uid": "fb843bce-7f20-5b0d-9522-d725ca4ad24b"
}