Temporal trends in the utilization of echocardiography in Ontario, 2001 to 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine utilization and growth in echocardiography among the general population of Ontario between 2001 and 2009. The age- and sex-adjusted rates of echocardiography grew from 39.1 per 1,000 persons in 2001 to 59.9 per 1,000 persons in 2009, for an annual rate of increase of 5.5%. Repeat echocardiograms increased at a rate of 10.6% per year and accounted for 25.3% of all procedures in 2009 as compared to 18.5% in 2002. While significant increases in echocardiography utilization were observed, opportunities may exist to improve the clinical utility of the echocardiograms performed in Ontario.