Quality Reports - Herma Heart Center
Echocardiogram (Echo) Turnaround Time
Why we measure it - Once a test is completed, it's important to the family, referring physician and child's health to receive the results as soon as possible.
What this means - An echocardiogram is a procedure that uses sound waves (ultrasound) to assess the heart's structures and function. It uses no radiation to create high quality, detailed images of the heart and is completely safe for children. We were able to dramatically reduce the time it takes to provide a report of the echo findings to the referring doctor by changing to a digital reporting system using cutting-edge computer technology. We had previously used a traditional phone-based transcription service, which requires many interfaces that can delay report completion. Children's Hospital is moving toward an electronic medical record, which also will use computer technology to speed the availability of health information and improve the timeliness of reporting in other areas.
About the data - This data reflects the median number of hours for report completion time.
Related dimensions of care:
  
What we're doing to provide the best care:
- We continue to modify and improve the echo reporting tool to enhance our ability to provide rapid and complete reports to referring physicians. A research paper describing our progress titled "Digital Structured Reporting in Pediatric Echocardiography - Impact on Lab Efficiency and Physician Communication," by Peter Frommelt, MD, Herma Heart Center pediatric cardiologist, will be published in the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.
- We have partnered with industry leaders to develop continuing enhancements to cardiac-related reports so that all testing results are shared quickly and efficiently with all care providers.
Patients/Families:
- Contact us if your doctor does not receive the results of your visit to the Herma Heart Center or if you have questions about your visit.
- If you cannot make a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule so another child can be seen.
- Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather needed information from you before you see the doctor.
If you have questions about this data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6726. |
