Professor Daniel Augustine, MBBS BSc MSc MD FHEA FRCP FBSE
President British Society of Echocardiography, Consultant Cardiologist
An echocardiogram provides a detailed heart assessment in just 30–60 minutes, helping diagnose and manage heart conditions effectively.
Having a heart imaging test that can give both clinicians and patients an overview of heart health is invaluable. It helps to confirm normality or identify, diagnose and aid in the management of heart disease. An ‘echocardiogram’ — or ‘echo’ — does just that.
Echocardiogram enables detailed assessments
An echo is a heart ultrasound scan that provides information on the heart’s size, structure, function and efficiency. In a nutshell, it provides a comprehensive assessment of your heart in as little as 30–60 minutes. It involves an ultrasound probe being placed on the left side of the chest, and images are transmitted to the echo machine screen.
Whether it’s the heart size, pump function, assessment of heart artery disease or an overview of the heart valves, an echo can look at it all. It is the most commonly requested heart imaging tool used worldwide in all ages.
An echo is the only heart imaging
modality undertaken across many
different medical disciplines.
Capabilities, versatility and portability
While looking at cardiac structure and function, an echo also helps to guide life-changing management; for example, in those with heart failure or to guide cancer therapy. It also gives the clinical team an idea of the heart’s capability, to help inform those wanting to return to more physical activity following the diagnosis of a cardiac condition.
Uniquely, an echo is the only heart imaging modality undertaken across many different medical disciplines within various settings, whether you are at the hospital or in the community. An echo is portable, allowing scans to be undertaken in A&E, intensive care, in a medical or surgical ward or at a GP practice.
Echo is provided across medical specialities by a variety of medical personnel. In fact, the vast majority of echos are performed by cardiac physiologists — one of the hidden workforces in our health system.
Increasing echocardiogram standards
Artificial intelligence (AI) will aid the detection and treatment of many medical conditions, and we are already seeing this help in the world of echo. We will still need highly trained specialists to carry out the echo, but the potential for AI to assist in the future is immense.
Your heart is your body’s engine, an echo is the MOT and much more. The British Society of Echocardiography ensures that the echo you receive — should you need it — is carried out by a highly qualified professional, with the appropriate skills. This is a role we take very seriously.
