Saving time saves lives! A time focused evaluation of a single-view echocardiographic screening protocol for...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major cause of cardiovascular death in low- and middle-income countries, impacting millions.
• Simplified screening protocols show promise for accurately identifying at-risk children.
• The time efficiency of RHD screening protocols is a critical, underexplored factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the time required for different echocardiographic screening strategies for rheumatic heart disease.
• To assess the feasibility of large-scale RHD screening based on examination time.

Main Methods:

• An observational study was conducted in school-based screening programs in Kenya and Cameroon.
• Three distinct echocardiographic screening strategies were compared.
• The time taken for each screening strategy was recorded.

Main Results:

• A total of 911 children were included in the study sample.
• Single-view screening averaged 1.2 minutes per child.
• Two-view screening averaged 2.1 minutes per child, and multi-view screening averaged 5 minutes per child.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in the time needed for various RHD screening protocols.
• The time efficiency of screening is a key consideration for implementing large-scale, population-based RHD screening programs.