Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in Intermediate and Long-Term Care Geriatric Settings.

Cross-sectionalJournal of the American Medical Directors Association· Jul 2026

Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in Intermediate and Long-Term Care Geriatric Settings.

José L Sánchez-Rodríguez, Ana M Gonzalez-Casanova, Lior Abramson, Esther Martínez-Almazán

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Point-of-Care UltrasoundCross-sectionalQ1IF 2.9

Point-of-care ultrasound reduced clinical uncertainty in nearly all long-term care evaluations

Utility of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) in Intermediate and Long-Term Care Geriatric Settings.

José L Sánchez-Rodríguez … Esther Martínez-Almazán

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · Jul 2026 · Q1 in General Medicine

Purpose

To assess the utility of point-of-care ultrasound (point-of-care ultrasound) in the clinical evaluation of older adults within intermediate and long-term care (long-term care) settings.

Methods

Individuals aged 65 years or older who underwent point-of-care ultrasound during the study period (March 1, 2022-March 31, 2025) within an intermediate care center and its affiliated long-term care units.

n = 2563 individuals

96%

Results

96%

attending physicians felt less clinically uncertain after point-of-care ultrasound in almost every case

n = 2563 individuals

More results

Most exams (62%) were done in the subacute unit, with 19% performed in long-term care and 14% in the functional recovery unit.

More results

Point-of-care ultrasound was mainly used to support physical examinations (23%); its findings confirmed clinical suspicion in about one-third of cases, ruled clinical suspicion out in another third, led to new and unsuspected diagnoses in a quarter of patients, and was used for follow-ups or guided procedures in the rest.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Point-of-care ultrasound supports the clinical assessment and management of older adults in post-acute and long-term care settings, potentially improving clinical decision-making, identifying new pathologies, guiding treatment, promoting safer procedures, and reducing unnecessary referrals and interventions.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

However, effective use and feasibility depend on adequate training and education.