title: Updated standards and processes for accreditation of echocardiographic laboratories from The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.
abstract: Standards for echocardiographic laboratories were proposed by the European Association of Echocardiography (now the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging) 7 years ago in order to raise standards of practice and improve the quality of care. Criteria and requirements were published at that time for transthoracic, transoesophageal, and stress echocardiography. This paper reassesses and updates the quality standards to take account of experience and the technical developments of modern echocardiographic practice. It also discusses quality control, the incentives for laboratories to apply for accreditation, the reaccreditation criteria, and the current status and future prospects of the laboratory accreditation process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy 'Carol Davila', Euroecolab, Institute of Cadiovascular Diseases 'Prof. Dr. C. C. Iliescu', Sos. Fundeni 258, Sector 2, Bucharest 022328, Romania bogdan.a.popescu@gmail.com plato203@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Bogdan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: APHM, La Timone Hospital, Cardiology Department, 13005 - Marseille, France bogdan.a.popescu@gmail.com plato203@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefanidis
authors.affiliation: Hammersmith Hospital, NHLI, Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Imperial College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospitals of south Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Hospital da Luz, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardim
authors.affiliation: Dell'Angelo Hospital, Mestre, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Badano
authors.affiliation: Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Alan G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Santa Maria, Department of Cardiology, Lisbon Academic Medical Centre, CCUL, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zamorano
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille France; APHM, La Timone Hospital, Cardiology Department, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Valvular Disease Clinic, University of Liège Hospital, GIGA Cardiovascular Sciences, CHU Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lancellotti
authors.forename: Maria Joao
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donal
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Edvardsen
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varga
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000592:standards*; D057791:Cardiac Imaging Techniques / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress / Q000592:standards; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000592:standards; D005060:Europe; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D012015:Reference Standards; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards
keywords: Accreditation; Echocardiography; Echocardiography laboratory; Quality standards; Reaccreditation