Echocardiography Atlas Review: Helping Echo Techs Gain Valuable Diagnostic Experience

Posted on 19. Jul, 2010 by Chas in Echocardiography Education

Echocardiography is a complex field that requires great knowledge and experience. A degree and a license may be enough to get a job, but experience is often the crucial deciding factor. This then brings up the age old question, how to land a job with no experience?

Echocardiography Atlas, a mobile application that allows you to view examples of normal and abnormal echocardiograms, is a very useful tool to help with your cardiac sonography training. The unique insights and familiarity it provides in cardiac diagnoses can help you get an echocardiography job.

Echocardiography Information Anywhere, Anytime

Echocardiography Atlas provides a powerful and convenient way to learn about echocardiography and become proficient in diagnostic interpretation. The editor of the app, Scott D. Solomon, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, says,

“Cardiovascular ultrasound technology is advancing swiftly, which leads to better patient care and, ultimately, more lives saved. Interactive imaging applications that can be carried conveniently on a mobile device unlock new opportunities concerning clinical training and patient education.”

No matter where you are, as long as you have your iPhone, iPod, or iPad, you can access 250 annotated images and 189 videos with this app, encompassing a wide variety of cardiac pathology.  Though the $19.99 price tag may seem a bit steep in the age of free information, the ability to access it anywhere (content is locally stored so no need for wireless connection), and the amount of content and interactivity it offers make Atlas a valuable resource for someone trying to launch their echocardiography career. With more traditional study programs offered at $100 or more, this training tool seems a bargain.

Features

The app is organized into 12 main chapters including:

  • The Normal Exam
  • Aortic Valve Disease
  • Mitral Valve Disease
  • Tricuspid and Pulmonary Valve Disease
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Diseases of the Aorta and Pericardium
  • Diseases of the Atria
  • Congenital Heart Disease in the Adult
  • Diseases of the Right Ventricle
  • Infectious Endocarditis
  • Transesophageal Echocardiography

Search chapters for specific terms or navigate by selecting a given key topic. For each key topic you can find well-annotated and labeled images. The app also allows you to pause, watch frame-by-frame, zoom, and pan within highly interactive looping videos. These visual references give you a hands-on way to become more acquainted with what to look for when interpreting echocardiograms.

Another helpful feature in Echocardiography Atlas is the ability to bookmark certain topics for quick reference. If you are having trouble with a certain subject, bookmark it and easily go back at any time

Effective App

Whether you are still training or actively looking for an echocardiography job, this is a fun yet effective resource. Though you may not be able to put down Echocardiography Atlas on your resume, the knowledge it provides will certainly enhance your qualifications.

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