Seven Pillars for a Community-Led AI-POCUS Future - A WINFOCUS Manifesto.
Authors
Affiliations (4)
Affiliations (4)
- Dept of Intensive Care Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore; Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia.
- Dept of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Dept of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Azienda Tutela della Salute Liguria, ASL, 5, La Spezia, Italy.
- Cardiac Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Istituto Cardiocentro Ticino, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland.
Abstract
The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) represents a transformative shift, offering the potential to democratize diagnostic expertise while simultaneously presenting significant risks regarding clinical validation, workforce preparedness, and health equity. Informed by a recent global survey indicating that while 81% of practitioners are optimistic about AI, major concerns remain regarding training and evidence gaps, the World Interactive Network Focused On Critical UltraSound (WINFOCUS) proposes a unified strategic framework. This manifesto outlines seven foundational pillars to guide the ethical and effective adoption of AI-augmented POCUS: (1) earning trust through rigorous, prospective evidence; (2) building an AI-literate workforce through evolved curricula; (3) championing global equity to prevent widening health disparities; (4) ensuring algorithmic transparency and accountability; (5) designing for seamless human-AI collaboration; (6) establishing a sustainable, privacy-centric data infrastructure; and (7) committing to continuous, patient-centered evaluation. We present this roadmap as a global call to action for clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to collectively shape a future where technology amplifies clinical wisdom and improves patient outcomes.