Use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in French urgent primary care: a national survey of general practitioners in the SOS Médecins network

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly recognized as a valuable diagnostic tool in general practice. However, its actual use among French general practitioners (GPs) working in urgent care settings, such as SOS Médecins, a nationwide network of GPs providing home-based urgent primary care 24/7, remains poorly documented. Objectives: To assess the prevalence, modalities of use, perceived impact, and barriers to the adoption of POCUS among GPs working in the SOS Médecins network across France. Methods: A national cross-sectional online survey was distributed to all eligible SOS Médecins physicians. The questionnaire addressed POCUS usage, clinical indications, equipment access, perceived benefits, training needs, and adoption barriers. Descriptive statistics were used, and comparisons between users and non-users were performed using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. Results: Among 211 respondents, 47.4% reported current POCUS use. Statistically significant differences between users and non-users were observed for age group (p = 0.0208) and years of experience in SOS Médecins (p = 0.0034). The most frequent indications included abdominal pain (79.2%), vascular assessment (76.2%), and respiratory symptoms (65.3%). Most users relied on portable devices (69.8%) and performed focused, indication‑driven scans (87.4%). POCUS was perceived as having a positive or very positive impact on triage (86.0%), treatment decisions (81.7%), diagnostic accuracy (67.0%), professional autonomy (59.0%), and the doctor–patient relationship (50.0%). Nevertheless, only 15.6% of users reported billing for POCUS acts. Among non-users, the main barriers were lack of specific training (63.6%), limited time (44.5%), equipment cost (40%), and doubts about clinical utility (23.6%). More than half (54.5%) expressed interest in receiving training. Conclusion: POCUS is currently used by nearly half of SOS Médecins physicians providing urgent primary care in France. Despite strong clinical interest and perceived utility, adoption remains limited by training gaps, structural barriers, and lack of clear financial incentives.