Echocardiography reporting and image management
A transthoracic echo produces more measurements than any other routine ultrasound study — chamber dimensions, wall thickness, function indices, Doppler velocities and gradients across four valves. Typing that set by hand is why echo reports are late and incomplete. NewVision reads the measurement set from the machine, applies the derived calculations, and builds the echo report with the loops archived alongside it.
Cardiology departments usually want to see the measurement table populate first. Book an echocardiography demo and we will run it on a study set.
Why echo suffers most from manual reporting
| Characteristic of echo | Consequence when reporting is manual |
|---|---|
| Large measurement set per study | Only the headline numbers get recorded; the rest never leave the machine |
| Derived values calculated from primaries | Hand arithmetic and copied formulas introduce errors that the report does not flag |
| Findings judged against normal ranges | Ranges recalled from memory rather than printed next to the value |
| Diagnosis depends on moving images | Loops stay on the machine and are unavailable at the next visit |
| Serial follow-up is the norm | Change over time is reconstructed by reading old documents instead of read from a series |
Measurement coverage
Values transfer automatically where the system emits them in its DICOM Structured Report; the rest are measured on archived images or entered as template fields.
| Group | Fields |
|---|---|
| Left ventricle — dimensions | LVEDD, LVESD, interventricular septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, LV mass and mass index, relative wall thickness |
| Left ventricle — function | Ejection fraction, fractional shortening, stroke volume, cardiac output, regional wall motion documentation |
| Atria and right heart | Left atrial diameter and volume index, right ventricular dimensions, RV wall thickness, TAPSE, RV S’ velocity |
| Aorta | Annulus, sinuses, sinotubular junction, ascending aorta, arch where visualised |
| Diastolic function | Mitral E and A velocities, E/A ratio, septal and lateral e’, E/e’, deceleration time, isovolumic relaxation time |
| Aortic valve | Peak and mean gradient, peak velocity, VTI, valve area by continuity, regurgitation quantification |
| Mitral valve | Gradient, valve area, pressure half-time, regurgitation grading, prolapse and annular measurements |
| Tricuspid and pulmonary | Tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity, estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressure, pulmonary acceleration time, pulmonary regurgitation |
| Other | Pericardial effusion dimensions and distribution, IVC diameter and collapsibility, intracardiac shunt and device documentation |
Templates
| Template | Use |
|---|---|
| Transthoracic echocardiogram | Full study: measurement tables, chamber and function assessment, valve-by-valve section, Doppler haemodynamics, graded conclusion |
| Focused / follow-up echo | Reduced measurement set with automatic comparison against the previous study |
| Stress echocardiography | Stage-by-stage wall motion and haemodynamic record with rest and peak comparison |
| Pre-operative assessment | Function and valve summary formatted for the surgical or anaesthetic team |
Section order, severity grading wording, letterhead and language are configured per department — see template configuration.
Loops and stills
- Cine loops are archived with the study, not left on the machine, so the next reader sees the images the conclusion was based on.
- Standard views are stored as a labelled set, which makes review and teaching practical.
- Doppler traces and M-mode images are archived with their measurement annotations intact.
- Prior studies open beside the current one for genuine side-by-side comparison.
Serial follow-up
Cardiology is follow-up heavy, and the value of a normalised measurement store shows up over years rather than weeks.
| Question the clinician asks | What the record provides |
|---|---|
| Is ventricular function deteriorating? | EF and dimension series across all previous studies for that patient |
| Is the aortic root growing? | Dimension trend with the dates and the measuring clinician recorded |
| Has valve stenosis progressed? | Gradient and valve area series rather than two remembered numbers |
| Did chamber size change after treatment? | Before-and-after comparison generated from the stored fields |
Frequently asked questions
Which echo systems work with this?
Any system that sends DICOM, including SR output for measurements. Validated families include GE, Canon (Toshiba) Aplio, Hitachi Arietta, Philips and Samsung systems; confirm the specific cardiac model with us because measurement packages differ between cardiac and general configurations.
Are derived values recalculated or taken from the machine?
Both are possible. Values the machine calculates transfer as sent; where the department prefers its own formula, the calculation is configured in the template so every report uses the same method.
Does it handle Doppler measurement sets?
Yes. Velocities, gradients, VTI and derived valve areas are template fields with reference context, not free text in a paragraph.
Can it archive stress echo protocols?
Yes, as a staged record where each stage carries its own images and haemodynamic data, which is what makes the rest-to-peak comparison readable.
Does the echo report reach the EMR automatically?
Yes, over the same HL7 or API interface used across the NewVision products, with discrete fields available alongside the PDF.
Is fetal echocardiography included?
That sits in the obstetric module rather than here — see OB/GYN ultrasound automation.
See the measurement table populate
Send your echo system model and current report format, and we will demonstrate the transfer and the matching template. Contact us · info@new-vision.net · +90 543 722 22 10
Related: Ultrasound PACS · Automated measurements · Report templates · Abdominal
