Survey of echocardiography practice across five continents

Abstract

Background and Aim: The term echocardiography refers to a diverse range of cardiovascular ultrasound imaging methods, both inside and outside specialist cardiology practice. While guidelines exist, we hypothesized that there are significant worldwide differences in the way echocardiography is practiced. We surveyed echocardiography practitioners around the world to characterize the workforce and their practice. Method: Social media and word of mouth were used in an explosive sampling approach to recruit echo users, who then completed an online survey that included personal demographics and questions about their practice, their resources, and daily use of echocardiography. Results: In total, 594 participants completed the survey: 54.9% sonographers; 30% cardiologists, with the remainder other physicians or trainees. Significant variation in the number of echoes performed and the time allocated to scanning was observed. There were also differences in the gathering of adjunct measures such as blood pressure and body size. Conclusion: There is wide variation in echocardiography practices across the world. Differences are likely to be both clinician- and healthcare system-driven. Guidelines for practice developed in well-resourced western countries and intended for use in cardiology-based echocardiography laboratories may not be applicable to other countries or indeed to new echo users.