To investigate and analyze the present situation and possible problems of ultrasonic quality control in tertiary hospitals of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Anhui Province, China.

Anhui Ultrasonic Medical Quality Control Center issued the 2019 quality questionnaire to 48 public tertiary hospitals in Anhui Province, China, including 10 TCM hospitals and 38 general hospitals. Seven ultrasonic quality control indicators from the 2018 Ultrasonic Medical Professional Quality Management Control Target Expert Consensus, and the development of ultrasonic subgroups in the hospital were compared between the two groups.

The average numbers of daily ultrasound examinations and annual critical value report cases in TCM hospitals were less than those in the same level general hospitals (210.9 person-time/day vs 482.5 person-time/day; 12 cases vs 44 cases). In terms of the development of ultrasonic subgroups including interventional ultrasound subgroup and musculoskeletal subgroup, there was also a significant difference between TCM hospitals and general hospitals (30.0% vs 89.4%; 10.0% vs 63.2%).

There is a difference in the development of ultrasonic subgroups groups and ultrasound new technology between TCM hospitals and general hospitals in Anhui Province, China. Developing suitable new ultrasound technology and improving the ultrasound medical education in TCM universities may promote the improvement of ultrasound quality control in TCM hospitals.