International consensus curriculum and competency framework for maternal point-of-care ultrasound training

INTRODUCTION: Cardiopulmonary complications and hemorrhage remain leading causes of maternal morbidity. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) enables rapid bedside diagnostic assessment; however, there is a lack of standardized maternal-focused POCUS training in obstetrics. The aim of this study was to develop a consensus-based framework for a maternal POCUS curriculum. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi process, international medical experts in POCUS participated in four iterative anonymized survey rounds to achieve consensus (>70% agreement) on POCUS curriculum domains and topics. Participants rated topics as "essential for learners," "important but not essential," or "not important for learners." RESULTS: The study period was from November 2023 through October 2024 and included eight categorized domains and more than 50 topics. Consensus was reached on seven domains and 36 topics that were deemed "essential for learners" for a maternal POCUS curriculum. Consensus domains included basic equipment, image optimization, recognition of normal imaging, recognition of abnormal imaging, real-world cases, skill development through hands-on practice, and implementation. CONCLUSION: The resulting consensus-based domains and topics provide a framework for development of a standardized maternal POCUS training curriculum for obstetric learners that is adaptable across diverse clinical settings.