Table 1 Demographics and characteristics of the study population
Variable | Study population |
|---|---|
n = 1303 (%) | |
Age* | 65 (52-76) |
Male | 731 (56.1) |
Inpatients | 318 (24.4) |
Referring physician | |
Primary care physicians | 252 (19.3) |
Cardiologists | 639 (49.0) |
Internal medicine [excluding cardiology] | 136 (10.4) |
Cardiac surgeons | 85 (6.5) |
Other specialists | 191 (14.7) |
Prior transthoracic echocardiogram | 712 (54.6) |
Inadequate requisition | 341 (26.2) |
Indication† | |
General evaluation of cardiac structure and function | 343 (26.3) |
Evaluation of valvular function | 315 (24.2) |
Evaluation of intracardiac and extracardiac structures and chambers | 206 (15.8) |
Evaluation of hypertension, heart failure, or cardiomyopathy | 202 (15.5) |
Cardiovascular evaluation in an acute setting | 106 (8.1) |
Adult congenital heart disease | 49 (3.8) |
Evaluation of aortic disease | 24 (1.8) |