March 18, 2020 By Angie Porter

COVID-19 Recommendations

ASE Statement on Protection of Patients and Echocardiography Service Providers During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Over the past week a small group of experts commissioned by ASE leaders have prepared a statement to be shared with our members and the entire cardiovascular ultrasound community. This statement, which was approved by the ASE Executive Committee on March 17, 2020, addresses triaging and decision pathways for handling echocardiographic requests, as well as indications and recommended procedures to be followed for an echocardiographic assessment of cardiovascular function in suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. In addition, we list measures recommended to be used in the echo lab for prevention of spread of disease.

ASE is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our members and the patients we serve. My colleagues James Kirkpatrick, MD, FASE, Smadar Kort, MD, FASE, Judy Hung, MD, FASE, and Cynthia Taub, MD, FASE, helped create this resource for sonographers, nurses, advance practice providers, and physicians who have a duty to care for patients and are at the frontlines in the battle against disease.

We thank you all for your tireless commitment to our patients and each other.

On behalf of the ASE leadership team,

Madhav Swaminathan, MD, FASE
Duke University Medical Center
ASE President

Download a PDF of the Statement (Updated March 25, 2020)

View on the website

Filed Under: General

ASE Headquarters – COVID-19 Update

Beginning March 26, 2020, the county where the ASE Headquarters is located is under a government order to “Stay at Home” due to the spread of the coronavirus. These “Stay at Home” recommendations continue to be in effect and depend on the infection rates in the County/State. ASE will keep all but essential personnel telecommuting until a time when it is judged safe to return to work. We are not suspending or closing operations; our employees will remain working and providing excellent customer service to our members and the cardiovascular ultrasound community. However, ASE will slightly modify its official open hours to 9 AM – 4 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. Should you need to get in touch with a staff person, call our main office at 919-861-5574 and a phone list by department will be available. A staff directory is also available here. All general questions can also be sent through ASE@ASEcho.org. Thank you and our best wishes for your continued safety.

New 3D Imaging Code Survey Needs U.S. Physician Input

This is your opportunity to participate in the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) process to ensure fair and adequate code valuation. The proposed CPT add-on code that describes the additional work required for 3D imaging, in addition to the base echocardiography service, is currently under review at the AMA RUC. Your participation in the RUC survey process is key in the assessment of the time, complexity, and physician work value for these procedures. If you were randomly selected, you received an email from “Qualtrics” with the subject line, “AMA RUC Survey – 3D Imaging of Cardiac Structures.” We ask you to look for it in all your email folders, as many members have found the survey in their spam/junk folder.

More information about the RUC and the survey process is available here.The AMA has created a video to explain the purpose of the survey process and provide specific instructions on how to complete the survey accurately. Please contact Irene Butler, ASE’s Vice President of Health Policy & Member Relations at IButler@ASEcho.org, with any questions. We greatly appreciate your time, input, and expertise.