TRAINING OF PHYSICIANS AND TECHNOLOGISTS IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY.

Echocardiography is a unique field in medicine. It requires a tremendous amount of technical experience and knowledge. Unlike other diagnostic tests which have eliminated most human error, echocardiograms are only as good as the operator. The purpose of this article is to provide echocardiographers with guidelines for developing quality training programs. The growth of echocardiography will only be as efficient as the echocardiographer's growth. Thus, education plays a primary role in the development of this noninvasive technique. Guidelines for diagnostic ultrasound education programs have been established by the American Society for Ultrasound Technical Specialists (A. S. U. T. S. ) the American Society for Echocardiography (A. S. E. ), and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (A. I. U. M. ). Although there is contraversy among these groups regarding the length of training, the basic requirements for a quality echocardiographic program are very similar. Each viewpoint is discussed with regard to physician and technology programs. Refs.