A Study of the Time to Diagnosis by Hand-held Abdominal Ultrasound in In-patient Settings

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of integrating handheld abdominal ultrasound into the current gastroenterology and hepatology consultation model at our hospital, particularly in terms of the speed of diagnostic evaluation and the impact of hospital length of stay.

Inclusion Criteria: \- Patients aged over 18 who are hospitalized and requiring for a gastroenterology consultation or abdominal ultrasound, including cases of abdominal pain, diarrhea, abnormal liver function, unexplained fever, or evaluating intra-abdominal lesions. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients unable to comply with handheld ultrasound examination. * Patients who are in the intensive care unit. * Patients who had already undergone formal abdominal imaging within one week prior to the consultation. * Patients who referred for immediate endoscopic intervention, such as active gastrointestinal bleeding or foreign body ingestion.