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Welcome
to the Patient Information section of ICAELonline. The ICAEL
provides the following information as a service to the general
public. This section is designed to help prospective patients
stay educated and informed about echocardiography and the importance
of accredited laboratories.
What
is an Echocardiogram?
An
echocardiogram is a safe, non-invasive procedure used
to examine your heart and potentially diagnose problems. It
uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to literally see
all four chambers of the heart, the heart valves, the great
blood vessels entering and leaving the heart, as well as the
sac around the heart. There are many reasons that your physician
may request that you have an echocardiography examination. Physicians
use echocardiography to look for abnormalities in the large
physical structures of the heart, including the heart chambers
and valves. An echocardiogram may sometimes also be used to
look for the cause of an abnormal heart sound (a murmur), to
check the size of the heart chambers, to check for fluid around
the heart, or to inspect the pumping capability (the muscles)
of the heart if a patient is short of breath or has complained
of certain symptoms during exertion.
The
information obtained through echocardiography examinations is
extremely helpful to physicians in diagnosing a variety of conditions
related to cardiovascular disease; disorders of the heart and
blood vessels. Early detection of life-threatening heart disorders
and disease is possible through the use of echocardiography
procedures performed within echocardiography laboratories. Echocardiography's
reliability in diagnosing conditions related to heart disease
and stroke is encouraging as we strive for ways to reduce the
more than 500,000 lives lost in the United States each year
to these disorders. However, it is critical that the public
realizes there are many facets that contribute to an accurate
diagnosis based on echocardiography. These factors include
the skill of the sonographer performing the examination, the
type of equipment used, the experience, training and knowledge
of the interpreting physician, and quality assurance measures.
In fact, poor ultrasound examinations often lead to inconvenient,
redundant studies, misdiagnosis, and even unnecessary tests
or surgery.
ICAEL Accreditation - A "Seal Of Approval" Patients
Can Count On.
Private offices, clinics, and departments within
hospitals that are accredited by the Intersocietal Commission
for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL)
voluntarily submit to a review of their daily operations. By
participating in the accreditation process, these medical facilities
demonstrate a commitment to the performance of quality echocardiography
and strive to meet nationally recognized standards. During the
accreditation process, applicant echocardiography laboratories
must submit documentation on every aspect of their daily operations.
While completing the application, laboratories are required
to identify and correct potential problems, revising protocols,
and validating quality assurance programs. Applications submitted,
including samples of the echocardiograms performed, are reviewed
by experts throughout the United States and Canada. Accreditation
is granted only to those facilities that are found to be providing
quality patient care, in compliance with the ICAEL Standards.
Once granted, ICAEL accreditation is valid for a period of three
years, after which time the facility must undergo a repeat evaluation.
When
scheduled for an echocardiogram, patients should inquire
as to the accreditation status of the facility where their
examination will be performed.
Patients can rely on accreditation as an indication that
the facility where their examination will be performed has
proven a commitment to providing quality testing for the
diagnosis of heart disorders and disease. Patients can rest
assured that accredited facilities have been carefully critiqued
on all aspects of their operations considered relevant by
medical experts in the field of echocardiography. Find
an accredited echocardiography laboratory in your area.
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The
ICAEL Certificate of Accreditation (sample shown here)
is an easy way for patients to identify an ICAEL-accredited
facility. >> |
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ICAEL
Sponsoring Organizations
American
Society Of Echocardiography
American
College Of Cardiology
Society
Of Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Society
Of Pediatric Echocardiography
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ICAEL
accreditation is widely respected within the medical
community, as illustrated by the support of the four
national medical societies related to echocardiography
(listed at the left), which include physicians, technologists,
and sonographers. In addition, several Medicare carriers
as well as private insurance companies require their
providers of echocardiography services to be accredited.
However, patients should remain vigilant in making
sure that their echocardiography examinations are
performed within accredited laboratories, because
for many facilities/laboratories it remains a voluntary
process. |
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