Guidelines for the provision of echocardiography in Canada: recommendations of a joint Canadian Cardiovascular Society/Canadian Society of Echocardiography Consensus Panel.

Recognizing the central role of echocardiographic examinations in the assessment of most cardiac disorders and the need to ensure the provision of these services in a highly reliable, timely, economical and safe manner, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and Canadian Society of Echocardiography undertook a comprehensive review of all aspects influencing the provision of echocardiographic services in Canada. Five regional panels were established to develop preliminary recommendations in the five component areas, which included the echocardiographic examination, the echocardiographic laboratory and report, the physician, the sonographer and indications for examinations. Membership in the panels was structured to recognize the regional professional diversity of individuals involved in the provision of echocardiography. In addition, a focus group of cardiac sonograhers was recruited to review aspects of the document impacting on sonographer responsibilities and qualification. The document is intended to be used as a comprehensive and practical reference for all of those involved in the provision of echocardiography in Canada.

Structure and process measures of quality of care in adult congenital heart disease patients: a pan-Canadian study.

BACKGROUND: There are more adults than children with congenital heart disease. Of over 96,000 ACHD patients in Canada, approximately 50% require ongoing expert care. In spite of published recommendations, data on the quality of care for ACHD patients are lacking. METHODS: Survey methodology targeted all Canadian Adult Congenital Heart (CACH) network affiliated ACHD centers. Clinics were asked to prospectively collect outpatient and procedural volumes for 2007. In 2008, centers were surveyed regarding infrastructure, staffing, patient volumes and waiting times. RESULTS: All 15 CACH network registered centers responded. The total number of patients followed in ACHD clinics was 21,879 (median per clinic=1132 (IQR: 585, 1816)). Of the total 80 adult and pediatric cardiologists affiliated to an ACHD clinic, only 27% had received formal ACHD training. Waiting times for non-urgent consultations were 4 ± 2 months, and 4 ± 3 months for percutaneous and surgical procedures. These were beyond Canadian recommended targets at 11 sites (73%) for non-urgent consultations, at 8 sites (53%) for percutaneous interventions and 13 sites (87%) for surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Of a minimum number of 96,000 ACHD patients in Canada, only 21,879 were being regularly followed in 2007. At most sites waiting times for ACHD services were beyond Canadian recommended targets. In spite of universal health care access, published guidelines for ACHD patient structure and process measures of health care quality are not being met.

Validity of revised Doppler echocardiographic algorithms and composite clinical and angiographic data in diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Commonly used echocardiographic indices for grading diastolic function predicated on mitral inflow Doppler analysis have a poor diagnostic concordance and discriminatory value. Even when combined with other indices, significant overlap prevents a single group assignment for many subjects. We tested the relative validity of echocardiographic and clinical algorithms for grading diastolic function in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. METHOD: Patients (n = 115), had echocardiograms immediately prior to measuring left ventricular (LV) diastolic (pre-A, mean, end-diastolic) pressures. Diastolic function was classified into the traditional four stages, and into three stages using a new classification that obviates the pseudonormal class. Summative clinical and angiographic data were used in a standardized fashion to classify each patient according to the probability for abnormal diastolic function. Measured LV diastolic pressure in each patient was compared with expected diastolic pressures based on the clinical and echocardiographic classifications. RESULT: The group means of the diastolic pressures were identical in patients stratified by four-stage or three-stage echocardiographic classifications, indicating that both classifications schemes are interchangeable. When severe diastolic dysfunction is diagnosed by the three-stage classification, 88% and 12%, respectively, were clinically classified as high and intermediate probability, and the mean LV pre-A pressures was >12 mmHg (P < 0.005). Conversely, the mean LV pre-A pressure in the clinical low probability or echocardiographic normal groups was <11 mmHg. CONCLUSION: Use of a standardized clinical algorithm to define the probability of diastolic function identifies patients with elevated LV filing pressure to the same extent as echocardiographic methods.