Empowering Family Physicians: The Value of Handheld Ultrasound Within Everyday Practice

Most family medicine (FM) practices could generate more revenue by fully embracing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The number of FM residency programs offering POCUS training increased by 500% between 2019 and 2021,1 meaning that 81% of FM departments now have at least one POCUS-trained physician. 2 Yet these skills are still heavily underutilized – and just 6% of FM practices bill for POCUS procedures.3

This article explores why this is an economic mistake and outlines the business case for integrating ultrasound into daily workflows

Why Family Physicians Benefit from Using POCUS

The value of ultrasound within family medicine is well-established across a wide range of applications, with research showing that POCUS can:

Improve Diagnosis: The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) cites strong evidence supporting the use of POCUS to screen for conditionssuch as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), skin and soft tissue infections, and respiratory distress. There is also moderate evidence to support the modality’s usage to assess perforation.
Simplify Imaging: POCUS has multiple applications within family medicine, enabling physicians to evaluate all areas of the body with a single device. This has historically been considered particularly valuable for home visits, but it also simplifies and accelerates in-office care. Physicians in any setting can respond to a wide range of complaints or concerns without needing to make referrals to imaging specialists.
Protect Patients: The non-invasive nature of handheld ultrasound scans makes it perfect for vulnerable patients, including children. It also produces far less radiation than other modalities like CT scans, helping physicians make vital diagnoses of conditions like pneumonia without creating unnecessary risk for young patients.

As a result, family physicians who utilize POCUS tend to be strong advocates for wider adoption. “I have never since [using POCUS] been surprised by twins, nor missed an ectopic pregnancy,” Dr. Mark Deutchman writes.6 Yet many physiciansand FM practices still struggle to justify the investment.

Understanding the Financial Barriers to Adoption

While POCUS offers significant clinical and financial value, family medicine practices face several challenges when adopting it:

Device Costs: Entry-level handheld ultrasound devices can cost up to $10,000.7 Although these costs can be easily recouped through insurance reimbursements, many practices struggle to establish proper billing infrastructure. In fact, 73% of practices claim this is an issue and may be disincentivized from expanding POCUS adoption because of it.
Training Costs: Most physicians require additional training to build adequate POCUS competency before services can be performed – let alone billed. While 15% of practices say training is too expensive, the biggest barrier is a lack of time.9 Most physicians simply cannot afford to spend several days learning a new modality, especially if it is not deemed essential.
Subscription Costs: The digital app-based system most POCUS devices work with is vital to unlock the modality’s full flexibility and use it with ease during patient visits. But many popular POCUS devices require subscription fees to access specific app features, creating an extra impediment for FM departments or practices within tight budgets.

But these issues are all addressable when considering the full return on investment (ROI) POCUS offers – or selecting the right handheld ultrasound partner.

How Ultrasound Can Improve Care While Recouping Costs

The medical case for POCUS adoption is clear, but there are a few factors to consider when building your business case:

Cost-Effective Procedures

Once the initial investment required to purchase a device is recovered, POCUS is very economically efficient. The per-procedure overheads are relatively low: when bought in bulk, single-use packets of sterile gel generally cost $1–$2, while disposable probe covers cost about $0.25 each. Compare this with the average Medicare reimbursement for POCUS procedures – ranging between $50-125 – and the economic case becomes clear.

Growing Physician Competency

The time and financial costs associated with POCUS training will reduce significantly in the coming years. More undergraduate and FM residency programs integrate ultrasound training into their core curriculum, with many making courses mandatory. As a result, future family physicians will not need thesame level of basic training and will be ready to bill for POCUS procedures far more quickly.

Supporting Underserved Communities

Rural communities often struggle to access specialist care and are underserved relative to patients within urban communities. Many within these areas simply donot access healthcare routinely, but POCUS can enable family physicians to offer a one-stop shop at their doorstep – delivering higher quality care and encouraging proper insurance utilization.

Taken together, these factors demonstrate how POCUS devices can easily recouptheir initial investment and become a powerful driver of both patient care and revenue – as long as you select the right device.

Introducing Vave Health: Simple, Portable, Affordable Ultrasound

Vave Health is the world's first wireless, handheld, whole-body ultrasound with a single PZT transducer. It empowers family physicians with everything they need to introduce ultrasound into their daily workflows, with: