Organization of paediatric and congenital echocardiography laboratories and governance of echocardiography services and training in Europe. A Statement of the EACVI of the ESC, the AEPC, and the ESC Working Group on Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This document has been developed as a comprehensive roadmap to the organization of paediatric and congenital echocardiography laboratories, as well as the governance of echocardiography services and training across Europe. The following key topics will be reviewed and discussed: (i) the setup and organization of paediatric and congenital echocardiography laboratories; (ii) staffing requirements for these laboratories; (iii) work time organization; and (iv) quality improvement processes. This document aims to identify the minimum number of medical and allied health professional staff required for each laboratory based on specific workload demands, whilst also detailing the basic medical accreditation requirements needed. Principles of work time organization will be addressed, including the time allocation needed for various types of echocardiographic examinations (e.g. first-time or complex examinations, follow-up, and quick assessments). The necessary time and space for reporting, communicating results (e.g. discussions with parents, liaising with other departments), and overall workflow will also be analysed. Additionally, quality improvement processes will be discussed, with a focus on strategies and minimum requirements for enhancing training and teaching. Approaches to encourage and support research initiatives within paediatric and congenital echocardiography laboratories will also be outlined. This document is intended to serve as a comprehensive roadmap to: (a) defining the basic facilities necessary for paediatric and congenital echocardiography laboratories; (b) detailing basic certification/accreditation requirements. (c) Optimizing staffing based on workload volumes; (d) establishing the minimal time requirements for performing and reporting on different types of congenital echocardiographic examinations; and (e) implementing strategies to optimize training, quality improvement, and research.
Authors: Massimiliano Cantinotti, Giovanni Di Salvo, Inga Voges, Francesca Raimondi, Arno A W Roest, Emanuela Valsangiacomo Buechel, Jan Sunnegardh, Tristan Ramcharan, Werner Budts, Henrik Brun, Anna Sabate-Rotes, Kai Thorsten Laser, Ulrike Herberg, Misha Bhat, Gabriela Doros, Peter Olejnik, Markku Leskinen, Jaroslaw Meyer-Szary, Andriana Anagostopoulou, Diala Khraiche, Almudena Ortiz Garrido, Owen Miller, Heynric B Grotenhuis, Martin Koestenberger, Beatrice Bonnello, Margarita Brida, Colin J McMahon
Institutions: Regione Toscana, University of Padua, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Leiden University Medical Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Drottning Silvias barn- och ungdomssjukhus, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, Oslo University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Hospital Universitari, Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, RWTH Aachen University, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, Comenius University Bratislava, Oulu University Hospital, Gdańsk Medical University, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Hospital Materno-Infantil, University of Rijeka, Evelina London Children's Healthcare, University Medical Center Groningen, Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College Dublin, Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7117799138