Echocardiographic Acquisition With Geographic Separation of Patients and Sonographers With Roboot Assistance (EAGER)
Echocardiographic Acquisition With Geographic Separation of Patients and Sonographers With Roboot Assistance (EAGER)
Echocardiography is a cornerstone of modern cardiology management, but access in rural and remote areas is limited. We have developed a robot ("Edler" named after the originator of echocardiography) which enables a sonographer to complete an examination at a distance. This study seeks to compare the images obtained by both methods, the completeness of the exam over a feasible time, and to identify particular components of the exam that are difficult to obtain using the robot.
The EAGER study is an effectiveness and feasibility trial of robot -assisted echo.
Patients who have undergone a standard echo will be asked to have a repeat study with a different sonographer, working remotely, obtaining images using the robot. This study is limited to 1 hour and as many views as possible will be obtained. During the study, the remote sonographer and patient are in direct contact over a video link. Another person will be in the room with the patient and the patient will be instructed on the use of a stop switch which will disengage the robot if they feel uncomfortable.
The acquired images will be saved to the imaging cloud and interpreted by an imaging specialist blinded to the original echocardiogram. A side-by-side comparison will be undertaken for each view, and image quality and study completeness will be assessed.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
tom.marwick@baker.edu.au0385321550