ArticleJournal of cardiovascular echography
Indications, Utility and Appropriateness of Echocardiography in Outpatient Cardiology.
Article in Journal of cardiovascular echography. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Mapping Echocardiographic Practice in Emilia-Romagna: A Regional Healthcare Census.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Artificial intelligence in breaking the learning curve for echocardiography: a secondary analysis of a multicentre trial.European heart journal. Digital health · 2026Article
- Combination of Tele-Cardiology Tools for Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Primary Care: Data from the PROVAR+ Study.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2024Article
- Frequency and Determinants of Inappropriate Use of Treadmill Stress Test for Coronary Artery Disease.Cureus · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveRespect of "appropriateness" is considered an essential requirement, both on the clinical and the economic profile, and also as it helps to shorten the waiting list. However, only a few studies have dealt with the control of appropriateness in clinical practice, and most of them have focused only on hospital admissions and invasive procedures. MATERIALS AND
methodsINDICARD-
resultsA total of 2110 prescriptions for echocardiogram were evaluated. Hypertension (23%) and the screening of asymptomatic subjects (17%) by far were the most frequent indications to echocardiography. Overall, 54% of the tests resulted appropriate, 30% were of uncertain appropriateness and 16% were inappropriate. Besides, 31% of the echocardiograms were not useful, and 28% were non pertinent for patient management. The vast majority of prescriptions (72%) came from non-cardiologist physicians (54% from general practitioners). The echocardiograms prescribed by cardiologists were significantly more appropriate, more useful and more pertinent than the tests prescribed by non-cardiologists.
conclusionsThe appropriateness, utility and pertinence of the echocardiography are still suboptimal in practice cardiology, especially when indicated by non-cardiologists. The cardiologist, from mere executor of tests prescribed and managed by other physicians, should gain the role of the clinician who takes care of all the cardiologic needs of the patient community.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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