title: A three-dimensional electronic report of a venous echo color Doppler of the lower limbs: MEVeC®.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The reports of ultrasound evaluation of lower limb veins are difficult to understand by general practitioners (GPs) and physicians who are not specialized. We developed software for a three-dimensional (3D) electronic report of venous hemodynamic mapping (MEVeC(®)) in order to represent lower limb venous vasculature in a 3D way. The aim of the study is to compare the novel 3D report with the standard report.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty subjects (medical students and GPs) evaluated a standard report and a novel 3D report of the lower limb veins of a prespecified patient. The cases were randomly and blindly taken from an archive of 100 cases. GPs and students answered a questionnaire made up of 13 questions that were structured in order to investigate the readability and comprehension of the two reports. A score ranging from 0 to 10 (0= not understandable; 10= full comprehension) was attributed to each report for each question according to the readability of the venous scheme proposed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores from each question of the questionnaire were compared. The 3D report (MEVeC(®)) obtained higher scores than those from the evaluation of the standard report (P<0.0001). Each question revealed the superiority of the 3D report (MEVeC(®)) as compared with the standard report of the ultrasound evaluation of lower limbs. When dividing the scores according to percentiles, the 3D report (MEVeC(®)) still continued to show more readability than the standard report in a statistically significant way (P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new 3D report (MEVeC(®)) concerning ultrasound evaluation of lower limb veins is more reproducible than the standard report when evaluated by medical physicians not specialized in the evaluation of the vein tree of lower limbs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo Innocente
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Galeandro
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scicchitano
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Annapaola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zito
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galeandro
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gesualdo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Geriatric and Morphologic Sciences of "Umberto I" Polyclinic of Rome, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciciarello
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Annagrazia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecere
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Pathology Division, Medical School, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzullo
authors.affiliation: Italian Society for Interdisciplinary Primary Care, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Contursi
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Technology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Annicchiarico
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco Matteo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciccone
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032882:Comprehension; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D058005:General Practitioners; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012984:Software; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014680:Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: lower limb veins; standard report; ultrasound evaluation; vein 3D report