Conversion to digital technology improves efficiency in the pediatric echocardiography laboratory.
BACKGROUND
Although the videotape method (VTM) is commonly used to record and intrepret ecocardiographic images, many pediatric echocardiographers are considering acquiring to, interpreting from, and storing their images to digital disk using the single-beat digital acquisition method (SBM). The paucity of image redundancy using SBM should translate into improved laboratory efficiency compared with VTM, but hard data are lacking. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the time to acquire images to videotape using VTM and to disk using SBM would be the same for normal hearts and corresponding congenital heart diseases, but interpretation times would be shorter using SBM.


METHODS
We measured the times to acquire and interpret 403 echocardiograms using standard VTM from Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, and 352 echocardiograms acquired using SBM from Children's Hospital in San Diego, Calif. Diagnostic categories at each site included: (1) normal, (2) simple shunt or isolated valve disease, and (3) multiple-lesion disease.


RESULTS
As a group, SBM echocardiograms included more hemodynamic measurements and took more time to acquire (P <.037), but less time to read (P <.001) than corresponding images acquired using VTM. Using SBM, it took more time to acquire normals and isolated valve or shunt lesions, whereas the average time to acquire multiple-lesion disease was the same using both VTM and SBM. With SBM, in contrast, interpretation times were significantly less for all corresponding diagnoses.


CONCLUSIONS
SBM studies took longer to acquire because more hemodynamic measurements were acquired, but they were read in less time than corresponding VTM studies even though all videotapes were replayed in search fast-forward mode. Pediatric echocardiographers can increase their laboratory efficiency by converting from VTM to SBM.
Mathewson
James W
JW
Children's Hospital and Health Center in affiliation with the University of California, San Diego 92123, USA. jmathewson@chsd.org
Dyar
Dan
D
Jones
Frederick D
FD
Sklansky
Mark S
MS
Perry
James C
JC
Michelfelder
Erik C
EC
Cripe
Linda
L
Kimball
Thomas R
TR
D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000191:economics*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D014743:Videotape Recording / Q000191:economics*