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Systematic review of open access echocardiography for primary care

Kamlesh Khunti1

  • 1Department of Health Sciences, Division of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK. kk22@le.ac.uk

European Journal of Heart Failure
|March 12, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Open access echocardiography services are increasingly used, particularly for suspected heart failure referrals from primary care. However, their widespread adoption lacks robust evidence and faces specialist concerns.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Healthcare Services Research

Background:

  • Rising demand for echocardiography in primary and secondary care has driven the growth of open access services.
  • Open access echocardiography is frequently utilized for diagnosing suspected heart failure in primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the current landscape and evidence base for open access echocardiography services.
  • To address concerns regarding the integration of open access echocardiography into healthcare.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current practices and referral patterns for open access echocardiography.
  • Analysis of existing literature and specialist opinions on the service model.

Main Results:

  • Suspected heart failure constitutes the primary indication for primary care referrals to open access echocardiography.
  • Significant concerns exist among specialists regarding the universal acceptance and implementation of these services.

Conclusions:

  • The expansion of open access echocardiography is notable but not universally embraced by specialists.
  • Further rigorously controlled studies are necessary to validate the widespread establishment of open access echocardiography services.

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