The problems of performing transthoracic echocardiography: from organizing to the report of examination

Abstract

Transthoracic echocardiography has become an important tool in the diagnosis of not only cardiovascular diseases but also other pathologies. With the technological progress, echocardiography has become a widely used modality by doctors of various specialties, which increases its value in clinical practice. Despite this, there are still problems with the organization and standardization of examinations, which can negatively affect the quality of diagnostics. Existing disadvantages of the regulatory documents governing echocardiography lead to uncertainty in the time standards of the examination. The desire to reduce the time allocated for the echocardiography can worsen the quality of the examination and increase the staff fatigue. The need to record multimedia data emphasizes the importance of access to archives for re-analysis and quality control. However, the volume of data can be significant, which requires the creation of centralized data repositories. Digitalization of examination processes, including the formation of electronic reports, also faces some difficulties associated with the compatibility of electronic databases and their correct display, which requires further improvement of medical information systems.