Echocardiography
Department Accreditation
The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) has been accrediting individuals
in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) since
1994. The Society evolved the concept of accrediting
departments since it was clear that adequate
machines, management and organisation were
necessary to allow individual excellence to
show. The principal aims are to improve the
quality of the service to the patient by ensuring
proper training and facilities. Initially departmental
accreditation modules are available for transthoracic,
transoesophageal and stress echocardiography,
as well as training for TTE accreditation.
The document was developed initially for departments of echocardiography. During
the past two years collaboration between the
BSE and the cardiac anaesthetists from the Association
of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia (ACTA) has resulted
in a joint accreditation for the practice of
TOE whether performed in a department of echocardiography
or an operating room or an intensive care unit.
The BSE recognises that echocardiography expanded
beyond the confines of the cardiology department
many years ago. Membership of the Society includes
physiotherapists, nurses, radiographers, radiologists,
cardiac surgeons, general practitioners, intensivists, cardiac anaesthetists and cardiologists.
In many cardiothoracic
units more TOEs are performed outside the department
of echocardiography and by personnel whose primary
job will not be echocardiography and who answer
to different professional bodies for their standards
of practice regarding training and equipment.
So while the
joint venture by ACTA/BSE to ensure a common
standard for the performance of TOE is valid,
it relates to individuals. It did not set out
to encompass departments. However, there is much
to be gained through collaboration. Anaesthetists
learn more about echocardiography as a whole
and cardiologist learn more about the peri-operative
arena. Together we gain mutual respect for each
other’s practice and the patients benefit.
The document
relating to TOE and organisation and equipment
is very reasonable, along with much of the training
aspects. It is a document which cardiothoracic
departments may wish to use to their benefit,
say for better equipment. However there is no
suggestion that cardiothoracic departments will
be penalised for not wishing to participate in
the BSE process of departmental accreditation.
As the document clearly states ‘it is a voluntary
process’.
The ACTA/BSE
group, hope that people practising TOE will wish
to attain the accreditation for TOE and that
within departments, people will wish to be supervisors
to facilitate the training of TOE.
To read ‘Departmental
Accreditation’ open www.bsecho.org then open
‘Departmental Accreditation’.
Sean Bennett,
ACTA/BSE council representative
