Engaging people with hemophilia through the use of point of care ultrasound

Sandra Squire

Purpose: Point of care ultrasound (POC-US) is an emerging practice within physiotherapy and hemophilia care. Evaluating joint status of patients with hemophilia (PWH) in real time with POC-US permits differentiation between bleeding, inflammation, subclinical joint changes, and arthritis. The study aim was to evaluate how PWH perceive the use of POC-US at the interdisciplinary hemophilia clinic.

Methods: 15 adult PWH followed by the B.C. Bleeding Disorder Program participated in a cross-sectional survey. A self-administered electronic questionnaire (via fluid-surveys), asked13 questions using a 7-point-Likert scale. Four domains were measured: Understanding the images, understanding my joints, feeling supported by the physiotherapist, and following treatment recommendations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Findings: All participants median age 25 (range 19-55) answered every question. All four domains had a positive response rate of 80% (>5.6 median).

Conclusion: POC-US was positively perceived by PWH for understanding and managing their joint health.