Use of echocardiography among patients with heart failure: practice variations in Hungarian hospitals.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate some factors, such as demographic factors, disease severity, dissemination of practice guidelines, and hospitals providing medical care, influencing the use of echocardiography among patients with congestive heart failure.


METHODS
A 'before-after' controlled epidemiological study based on hospital documentation.


METHODS
A total of 1222 admitted patients with a diagnosis of chronic heart failure from six voluntarily participating hospitals representing each level of in-patient care in Hungary.


METHODS
Implementation of clinical practice guidelines about heart failure developed by the US Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.


RESULTS
The echocardiography was performed in slightly more than 50% of all cases in the total. The use of echocardiography was different according to age, sex, and hospitals, but no significant difference was found in disease severity and between the two periods of time (before and after the dissemination of the guidelines).


CONCLUSIONS
This study reveals the existing differences in the use of echocardiography and the lack of essential changes after the dissemination of the guidelines. The distribution and implementation of guidelines needs further investigation.
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Dóm tér 10, Hungary. paulik@puhe.szote.u-szeged.hu
Edit
E
Paulik
Anna
A
Müller
Eva
E
Belicza
Krisztina
K
Boda
László
L
Nagymajtényi
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006302:Health Services Research; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index