Guidelines for the Standardization of Adult Echocardiography Reporting - Recommendations From the American Society of Echocardiography

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Guidelines provide standardized reporting requirements for adult echocardiography, emphasizing consistent and interoperable communication of exam results across transthoracic, transesophageal, and stress studies. Recommendations update prior guidance on core components of comprehensive echocardiography reports, including essential measurements, terminology, and definitions. The document clarifies the pathway from preliminary reporting to final submission, with examples of critical or urgent findings, and supports comparison of serial echocardiograms and relevant alternate imaging modalities. It also covers integration of suitable adult congenital heart disease findings and supports quality improvement, research readiness, and data reuse for analytics, including machine learning and AI use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Scope

Methodology

Elements of Comprehensive Echocardiography Reports

Transthoracic Echocardiography Report

Transesophageal Echocardiography Report

Stress Echocardiography Report

Report Communication: From Preliminary Report to Final Report

Report Summary Statement

Integration of Adult Congenital Heart Disease Findings

Quality Improvement of Echocardiography Reports

Electronic Storage of Echocardiography Data

Artificial Intelligence Tools for Augmenting Echocardiography Reports and Future Directions

Conclusion

Notice and Disclaimer

References

GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS Guidelines for the Standardization of Adult Echocardiography Reporting: Recommendations From the American Society of Echocardiography Cynthia C. Taub, MD, MBA, FASE (Chair), Raymond F. Stainback, MD, FASE (Co-Chair), Theodore Abraham, MD, FASE, Daniel Forsha, MD, FASE, Enrique Garcia-Sayan, MD, FASE, Jeffrey C. Hill, MSc, ACS, FASE, Judy Hung, MD, FASE, Carol Mitchell, PhD, RDMS, RDCS, RVT, ACS, FASE, Vera H. Rigolin, MD, MS, FASE, Vandana Sachdev, MD, FASE, Partho P. Sengupta, MD, FASE, Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, and Jordan Strom, MD, FASE, Syracuse, New York; Houston, Texas; San Francisco, California; Kansas City, Missouri; Worcester and Boston, Massachusetts; Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; Bethesda, Maryland; New Brunswick, New Jersey; and Lexington, Kentucky The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) plays a vital role in establishing practice standards and guidelines within the echocardiography ﬁeld. Its inﬂuence is comprehensive, covering training, image acquisition, nomenclature, measurements, diagnosis, and quality improvement. This report focuses on the ﬁnal phases of the diagnostic imaging process, speciﬁcally reporting and communicating exam results. It provides updates to previously published guidelines onthe required componentsofa comprehensive echocardiography report. Standardization within echocardiography reports is essential to uphold quality, consistency, and interoperability across various echocardiography (echo) labs, institutions, and healthcare systems, as well as over different time points. Additionally, standardized reporting is crucial for facilitating big data analysis, aligning with the current emphasis on machine learning and artiﬁcial intelligence. This document delineates core measurements and statements applicable to transthoracic, transesophageal, and stress echocardiography. It also elucidates abbreviations, acronyms, terminology, and deﬁnitions to enhance communication. The path from preliminary report to ﬁnal submission is clariﬁed, alongside examples of critical, urgent, and signiﬁcant ﬁndings. Recommendations include comparison of serial echocardiograms and, when clinically relevant, comparisons with other imaging modalities. The document addresses the integration of simple congenital heart disease (CHD) ﬁndings appropriate for an adult echo lab. Standardization facilitates clinical and research endeavors by ensuring clear and consistent data reporting,thereby enabling seamless data sharing andreusability.(JAmSoc Echocardiogr2025;38:735-74.) Keywords: Echocardiography, Nomenclature and terminology, Standardized echo report, Communication, Quality improvement This document is endorsed by the following ASE International Alliance Partners: Argentine Federation of Cardiology; Argentine Society of Cardiology; British Society of Echocardiography; Cardiovascular Imaging Department of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology; Cardiovascular Imaging Society of the Inter-American Society of Cardiology; Chinese Society of Echocardiography; Gulf Heart Association; Indian Academy of Echocardiography; Indonesian Society of Echocardiography; Interventional Imaging Group of the Saudi Arabian Cardiac Interventional Society; Iranian Society of Echocardiography; Israel Heart Society Working Group on Echocardiography; Italian Association of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Intensive Care; Japanese Society of Echocardiography; Mexican Society of Echocardiography and Cardiovascular Imaging, A.C.; National Association of Cardiologists of Mexico, AC; National Society of Echocardiography of Mexico A.C.; Saudi Arabian Society of Echocardiography; Thai Society of Echocardiography; and Vietnam Society of Echocardiography. From the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York (C.C.T.); Baylor College of Medicine and The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (R.F.S., E.G.-S.); the University of California, San

FAQs

What is the main purpose of these adult echocardiography reporting guidelines?

To standardize how echocardiography exam results are reported and communicated, ensuring quality, consistency, and interoperability across labs and healthcare systems.

Which echocardiography types do the guidelines cover for standardized reporting?

They address core measurements and statements applicable to transthoracic, transesophageal, and stress echocardiography.

How do the guidelines handle the transition from a preliminary report to the final submission?

They clarify the reporting pathway from preliminary report to final submission and include examples of critical, urgent, and significant findings.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick