title: Development and analysis of a new certifying examination in perioperative transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: A key element in developing a process to determine knowledge and ability in applying perioperative echocardiography has included an examination. We report on the development of a certifying examination in perioperative echocardiography. In addition, we tested the hypothesis that examination performance is related to clinical experience in echocardiography. Since 1995, more than 1200 participants have taken the examination, and more than 70% have passed. Overall examination performance was related positively to longer than 3 mo of training (or equivalent) in echocardiography and performance and interpretation of at least six examinations a week. We concluded that the certifying examination in perioperative echocardiography is a valid tool to help determine individual knowledge in perioperative echocardiography application.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report describes the process involved in developing the certifying transesophageal echocardiography examination and identifies correlates with examination performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. aronson@airway.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aronson
authors.forename: Aggie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Subhiyah
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Buckingham
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Cahalan
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konstandt
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savino
authors.forename: Jack S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shanewise
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thys
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education*; D002568:Certification; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge