Echotech Launches 'Delivering Quality and Value' Campaign

Following (1) BSE Departmental Accreditation last year and (2) the outcomes of a study comparing the cost of the Echotech care pathway vs the more traditional pathways, Echotech is pleased to announce the launch of its 'Delivering Quality and Value' Campaign.

The Echotech service model combines the security of full governance found in an accredited clinical department with the financial gains of delivering leaner services within the community setting.

Echotech Delivering Quality

Echotech holds Departmental Accreditation from the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE). The award of this status in August 2008 followed a comprehensive assessment of Echotech’s clinical and operational processes.

'It means that they [Echotech] can tell others, just like those hospital departments that have gained accreditation, that they are offering an assured and assessed quality service.’
Dr Kevin Fox
President British Society of Echocardiography 2007-2008

The importance of BSE Departmental Accreditation is jointly recognised by the British Society of Heart Failure, the Heart Improvement Programme, the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society and the BSE in the publication Community Echocardiography for Heart Failure, where a consensus statement reads:

'Organisation of [community echocardiography] services should be based around a BSE accredited department.’
British Journal Cardiology 2004;11:399-402

Echotech are currently scanning up to 1800 NHS patients every month, across more than 30 commissioning bodies.  By comparison, an average DGH would expect to scan approximately 500 patients per month. Moreover Echotech has invested in an IT and organisational infrastructure to secure future growth of services without any loss of quality.

Echotech prides itself on employing cardiac physiologists, who are all individually accredited by the BSE. All staff undergo a programme of continued education and professional development through the process of Peer Review and company sponsored training and conference attendance. Additionally, staff are equipped with cutting edge technology to ensure the highest standards of reporting consistency and accuracy are maintained.

Echotech Delivering Value

The Echotech service model is that of a 'virtual’ department of clinicians, cardiac physiologists and support staff. This virtual department provides cardiac diagnostics in the primary care setting, and thus displays the innovative and efficient characteristics as required in the NHS Next Stage Review.

Delivery of high quality care in the community reduces the overall cost burden for managing heart failure, including a reduction in inappropriate secondary care attendances and the more efficient and appropriate use of specialist teams.

In 2009 Echotech commissioned a study to compare the Echotech (community echocardiography) care pathway to the more traditional pathways. Specifically, the cost of various Referral to Treatment (RTT) pathways were compared, for one hundred patients with suspected cardiac abnormalities.

The study demonstrates a cost saving of 61% for the Echotech pathway when compared to the cost of the traditional Consultant Outpatient route. As an additional benefit, the maximum waiting time for Echo is currently two weeks,  allowing the 18 week RTT target to be comfortably achieved.

Dominic Elton Managing Director of Echotech states: 'We believe that those services that can be delivered safely in the community should be delivered in the community, leaving the acute trusts to deliver the services only they can provide. This should lead to more efficient and convenient pathways of care.’