Variation in the Echocardiographic Surveillance of Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clinical outcomes after surgical treatment of mitral regurgitation are worse if intervention occurs after deterioration of left ventricular size and function. Transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) surveillance of patients with mitral regurgitation is indicated to avoid adverse ventricular remodeling. Overly frequent TTEs can impair patient access and reduce value in care delivery. This balance between timely surveillance and overutilization of TTE in valvular disease provides a model to study variation in the delivery of healthcare services. We investigated patient and provider factors contributing to variation in TTE utilization and hypothesized that variation was attributable to provider practice even after adjustment for patient characteristics.

Methods and results

SUBMITTER: Tanguturi VK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5581547 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature