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British Society of Echocardiography Departmental Accreditation Standards 2019 with input from the Intensive Care
Sarah Ritzmann1, Stephanie Baker2, Marcus Peck3
1Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cardio-Respiratory, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Doncaster, UK.
Insights
The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) has updated its departmental accreditation standards to ensure high-quality patient care. These updated standards cover various echocardiography practices, including emergency echocardiography, for improved clinical services.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Healthcare Quality Standards
Background:
- The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) pioneered a quality standards framework for departments supporting echocardiographers.
- Previous standards focused on individual accreditation, but recognized the need for departmental oversight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the updated standards for departmental accreditation by the BSE Departmental Accreditation Committee.
- To emphasize the integration of individual and departmental accreditation for safe and effective patient care.
- To introduce new standards for emergency echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- The article summarizes the key components of the updated BSE Departmental Accreditation Standards.
- Standards encompass transthoracic, transoesophageal, stress, and emergency echocardiography, as well as training.
Main Results:
- Updated standards require departments to be well-organized with appropriate facilities, equipment, and processes.
- Accreditation now includes a new standard for emergency echocardiography, developed with the Intensive Care Society.
- These standards supersede the 2012 version.
Conclusions:
- Departmental accreditation, alongside individual accreditation, is crucial for ensuring safe and effective patient care in echocardiography.
- The updated framework provides a comprehensive approach to quality in echocardiography departments.
- The inclusion of emergency echocardiography addresses a critical area of practice.
Abstract:
This article sets out a summary of standards for departmental accreditation set by the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) Departmental Accreditation Committee. Full accreditation standards are available at www.bsecho.org. The BSE were the first national organisation to establish a quality standards framework for departments that support the practice of individual echocardiographers. This is an updated version which recognises that, not only should all echocardiographers be individually accredited as competent to practice, but that departments also need to be well organised and have the facilities, equipment and processes to ensure the services they deliver are of an appropriate clinical standard. In combination with individual accreditation, departmental accreditation lays down standards to help ensure safe and effective patient care. These standards supersede the 2012 BSE Departmental Accreditation Standards. Standards are set to cover all potential areas of practice, including transthoracic (level 2) echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, training, and emergency (level 1) echocardiography. The emergency echocardiography standard is a new addition to departmental accreditation and has been developed with input from the Intensive Care Society.
