Telecardiology: supporting the decision-making process in general practice

To assess the initial phase of a telecardiology diagnostic service for general practitioners (GPs), we provided 93 GPs in 26 health centres with direct telephone access to a cardiologist, and equipped them with hand-held, automatic standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) transmitters for on-line cardiac consultations and ECG interpretation in their daily practice. Clinical details, reason for consultation and the ECG signal were transmitted from the GPs' practices or the patients' homes. A consultation followed and a full report, including ECG print-out, was then sent to the GP. During an 18-month study period, 2563 consultations were carried out. The system allowed the identification of 479 patients (19%) with urgent cardiac problems and the remaining 2084 (81%) in whom admission or outpatient investigation was unnecessary. Following the study, we distributed a questionnaire asking the GPs to rate the quality, define the use and consider the benefit of the service to their daily practice. We conclude that a telecardiology diagnosis and ECG interpretation service is simple, reliable and efficacious in routine primary care. It offers instant access to cardiac assessment and supports the decision-making process of GPs. A preliminary cost comparison with a conventional referral indicated that a teleconsultation was substantially cheaper. We expect that the future incorporation of teleechocardiography would expand the scope of telecardiology even further and allow comprehensive cardiology consultations.