Standards Regarding Laboratory Type and Personnel Involved in Echocardiographic Examinations

Standards Regarding the Medical Director
Standard P1: The echocardiographic laboratory will have a designated Medical Director, who shall be a licensed physician and holds Level 3 training in echocardiography or Level 2 training in echocardiography and continuing echocardiography practice including interpretation of at least 1800 Echo/Doppler examinations over the previous 3 years.

Standard P1.1: There are additional qualifications for Medical Directors at sites interpreting Stress Echocardiographic Examinations.

Standard P1.2: There are additional qualifications for Medical Directors at sites interpreting Transesophageal Echocardiographic Examinations.

Standard P2: The Medical Director carries out and/or has oversight for specific items.

Standard P3: To ensure continuing maintenance of competence, the Medical Director attends at least 24 hours of accredited Continued Medical Education (CME) activities relevant to echocardiography over a period of two years and interprets at least 400 transthoracic echocardiographic studies per year. For laboratories carrying out transesophageal echo, the Medical Director must perform and interpret at least 25 transesophageal examinations per year. For laboratories providing stress echocardiography, the Medical Director must interpret at least 75 stress echocardiography examinations per year.

Standards Regarding the Technical Director
Standard P4: The laboratory shall have a designated Technical Director who has credentialing from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or equivalent credential, and experience as assessed and approved by the Medical Director. In laboratories with no appropriately qualified sonographers, a physician assumes the role of Technical Director and shall have Level 2 or 3 training.

Standard P5: The Technical Director carries out and/or has oversight for specific items.

Standard P6: The Technical Director documents at least 30 hours of echocardiography related continuing education over a period of three years.

 

Standards Regarding Medical Staff
Standard P7: Members of Medical Staff shall be licensed physicians who hold Level 2 or 3 training in Adult Echocardiography or Documented performance in an established laboratory, with interpretation of at least 400 Echo/Doppler studies per year and maintenance of competence as defined in Standard P3 for the preceding 3 years.

Standard P7.1: There are additional qualifications for Medical Staff at sites interpreting Stress Echocardiographic Examinations.

Standard P7.2: There are additional qualifications for Medical Staff at sites interpreting Transesophageal Echocardiographic Examinations.

Standard P8: Members of Medical Staff are responsible for specific items.

Standard P9: Members of Medical Staff shall undertake and document continuing maintenance of competence as described in Standard P3.

Standards Regarding Technical Staff
Standard P10: All Technical Staff performing echocardiographic examinations shall meet specific criteria.

Standard P10.1: There are specific qualifications required for sonographers performing Stress Echocardiography.

Standard P10.2: There are specific qualifications required for sonographers participating in Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Standard P11: Technical Staff work under the direction of the Technical Director and are, in general, responsible for specific items.

Standard P12: All Technical Staff shall document at least 30 hours of echocardiography related CME every 3 years.