The architecture of a mobile outreach echocardiography service.
We describe the outreach echocardiography program at our tertiary care referral center in southeast Minnesota. Cardiac sonographers from our institution transport ultrasonographic imaging equipment to regional hospitals and clinics where they perform complete transthoracic echocardiographic examinations. Digital images from standard 2-dimensional, color flow, and Doppler echocardiography are transferred to our clinic for interpretation by a cardiologist. The outreach program enables physicians without access to echocardiography to use this powerful diagnostic tool in the local evaluation of patients with suggested or known heart disease. We detail the organization of our outreach echocardiography program and emphasize the team approach that facilitates optimal image acquisition, prompt interpretation, and timely reporting of results.
Gilman
Gregory
G
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Lutzi
Charlene A
CA
Daniels
Bruce K
BK
Springer
Ronald F
RF
Fye
W Bruce
WB
D002309:Cardiology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*