A group of ASE leaders prepared a very timely Statement on the Reintroduction of Echocardiography Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic to share with members and the entire cardiovascular ultrasound community. As the pandemic unfolded, many non-urgent echo studies were deferred in an attempt to reduce coronavirus transmission among patients and healthcare workers, conserve personal protective equipment (PPE), and prepare for a potential surge of COVID-19 patients. Although COVID-19 prevalence and new case trends continue to differ substantially by region, many facilities are now planning resumption of non-urgent and elective medical services. Safe and efficient reintroduction of outpatient echocardiography services will require consideration of appropriate timing of reopening based on projected COVID-19 case trends, prioritizing procedure scheduling based on current or change in disease acuity, applying exam protocols to address the clinical question while enhancing lab throughput, implementing appropriate PPE and sanitization protocols, and performing pre-procedural COVID-19 testing in certain patient cohorts.
ASE is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of our members and the patients we serve. Judy Hung, MD, FASE (Chair), Theodore P. Abraham, MD, FASE, Meryl S. Cohen, MD, MS Ed, FASE, Michael L. Main, MD, FASE, Carol Mitchell, PhD, ACS, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, FASE, Vera H. Rigolin, MD, FASE, and Madhav Swaminathan, MD, FASE helped create this resource for sonographers, nurses, advance practice providers, and physicians who have a duty to care for patients.
Register today to join experts on June 5, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EDT for a live webinar. During this webinar, Dr. Judy Hung and a team of experts will address your questions based on this new statement. Once you register for the webinar, you will receive a link to a form to submit your questions in advance of the webinar. The experts will discuss issues relating to when to reopen, scheduling of deferred cases, protocol changes, PPE, and COVID-19 screening and testing. Learn more here.