Sonographer quality management
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ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION
Sonographer quality management Mieko Marriner1 Received: 15 December 2018 / Revised: 3 May 2019 / Accepted: 21 May 2019 © The Author(s) 2019
Abstract Background The echocardiogram is the second most used diagnostic tool for cardiovascular patient care. Qualified sonographers are needed to consistently produce high-quality echocardiograms to provide high-quality patient care. Methods Our department uses the three major management tools to assure sonographers are qualified. (1) ASE guidelines and standards. (2) Sonographer registry system and (3) quality improvement (QI) program with the accreditation of Echo Lab. QI measures are done quarterly assessing the appropriate use criteria for echocardiography, interpreter and sonographer variability, timeliness and completeness and correlations. The variabilities are assessed along ASE guidelines and standards. Results QI measures are mainly done by Medical Director and Technical Director. Medical Director and Technical Director discuss with individual interpreter and sonographer after QI measures are done each quarter as the feedback. Through the feedback improving the individual sonographer skills and understanding of Echo result. Our Echo Lab is accredited by Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). Accredited Echo Labs have to follow the IAC standards for echocardiography which includes those QI measures. Every sonographer in our lab is registered and complied for CME requirement to update their knowledge and skills. Twice a year QI meeting will be held and discuss about those QI measures and make consensus as Echo Lab. Conclusions Registered sonographer with systematic quality checking system of their work will be achieved improving the high-quality echocardiogram and leading to the high-quality patient care. Keywords Sonographer registry system · ASE guideline and standard · Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) · IAC standards and guideline for adult echocardiography accreditation · Quality improvement The echocardiogram is the second most used diagnostic tool following the electrocardiogram for cardiovascular patient care. High-quality cardiac images and hemodynamic assessments are dependent on the individual sonographer skills. To achieve high-quality echocardiograms in our lab, we manage the sonographer skills with three major components: 1. ASE guideline and standard [1–4]. 2. Sonographer registry system. 3. Quality improvement (QI) program with the accreditation of Echo Lab. Our Echo Lab follows the ASE guideline and standard for echocardiogram exams. Seven of the 24 × 30 in. sized ASE guideline posters are on the walls of the sonographer work * Mieko Marriner [email protected] 1
John Muir Medical Center, 2540 East Street, Concord, CA 94520, USA
stations as reference for both qualitative and quantitative echo preliminary report creation for the reading cardiologist. 11.5 × 17 in. flip chart posters of the ASE guidelines are also put on each of the desks in the cardiologist reading room. Not all of
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