The British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) is delighted to share an updated poster designed to assist with triaging of echocardiography in primary care.
The updated poster, for situations relevant to primary care where an echocardiogram is likely to be of low clinical yield, is released following the update of the secondary care triaging poster set in 2024 and is endorsed by the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) and British Society for Heart Failure.
The BSE recognises that very often the most useful information in primary care is to know the clinical conditions in which transthoracic echocardiography is not routinely indicated at the time of initial clinical contact. These conditions are grouped by symptom or clinical finding for rapid reference by general practitioners for use in primary care settings. This guidance is not intended to override clinical judgment in individual cases and was created to support situations where clinical judgement favours avoiding further investigation.
Dr Andrew Potter, GP Representative to the Society and GP at Whaddon Healthcare, Milton Keynes, said “We have reviewed our previous triage guidance for echo requests from primary care. As patients present to primary care clinicians with symptoms, and not diagnosed conditions, the BSE collaborated with a Primary Care Cardiovascular Society and the British Society for Heart Failure, to produce symptom-based guidance. We hope this new document will be even more helpful for busy GPs to understand when an echo is needed and how to make best use of this valuable resource.”
Professor Dan Augustine, President of the Society said “Effective demand management is crucial for delivering echocardiography efficiently, and tools like this poster play a key role. Huge thanks to Dr Andrew Potter for leading our Making Best Use of Echocardiography in Primary Care initiative. This poster highlights common symptoms and pathologies GPs encounter daily, helping to standardize referrals and ensure echocardiography is prioritized appropriately.”
The guidance will be disseminated via the PCCS and NHS England primary care networks but additional sharing from echocardiographers to primary care contacts will help the BSE to effect positive change.
Download the poster