Loading...
In many clinical settings, interventions or procedures are predicated on an accurate estimation of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, visual interpretation of echocardiograms is inherently inexact. These investigators assessed whether interobserver variability (IOV) in visual estimation of LVEF could be improved by a formal teaching intervention. Fourteen sonographers and 11 physicians from one echocardiography laboratory participated in the study. Participants' years of experience ranged from 1 to 35 (mean, 12 years). The teaching intervention consisted of three 1-hour, facilitator-led, case-based tutorials. The participants completed pre- and post-intervention evaluations of 14 and 13 cases, respectively.
The IOV in estima…