Point-of-care ultrasound in prehospital emergency care: attitudes, facilitators and barriers

Abstract Objective This study aimed to explore Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers’ perceptions of prehospital Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), including perceived usefulness, facilitators, and barriers to its implementing in Jordanian prehospital settings. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among EMS providers using a structured questionnaire. Attitudes were measured using a four-point Likert scale, while facilitators and barriers were assessed with dichotomous (yes/no) responses. A total attitude score was calculated by summing Likert-scale responses. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses and inferential analyses (independent-samples t-tests and ANOVA) were conducted to examine group differences. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20). Results A total of 621 participants were included in the study. The majority were males (78.3%), with a mean age of 29.5 ± 4.4 years and EMS experience of 9.7 ± 4.6 years. Only 23.3% reported previous POCUS training. Overall, participants demonstrated a net positive attitude toward POCUS (mean score = 27.9 ± 5.4; Cronbach’s α = 0.836), though a substantial proportion (50.0%) expressed uncertainty regarding an absolute POCUS safety claim, a pattern that was independent of prior training status. A proportion of 79.6% expressed willingness to learn about POCUS, 79.4% agreed that POCUS supports standard assessment and 78.8% agreed that POCUS provides additional information for decision-making. The three main reported motivators were training availability (83.1%), direct supervision during use (81.8%) and institutional support (79.4%). The three main barriers were lack of time (76.7%), unavailability of training programs (74.2%) and lack of POCUS experts (73.4%). Participants with prior POCUS training had significantly higher attitude scores ( p = .001). Conclusion EMS providers in Jordan demonstrated a net positive attitude toward POCUS as a potentially useful adjunct to prehospital care, though a substantial proportion expressed safety-related uncertainty, consistent with the absence of routine operational exposure to the technology. Adoption of POCUS remains constrained by structural and training-related barriers. These findings reflect perceived value rather than demonstrated clinical effectiveness. Addressing gaps in training, supervision, competency-based credentialing and imaging governance may support future integration, but further research is required to evaluate clinical and operational outcomes.