The prevalence of and attitudes toward neonatal functional echocardiography use and training in the United States: A survey of neonatal intensive care unit medical directors
Affiliations: Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA | Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA | Department of Medical Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. Robert Schumacher, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, 8621 Mott Hospital, 1540 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Tel.: 734 763 4109; Fax: 734 763 7778; E-mail: neoschu@med.umich.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Internationally, neonatologists are increasingly performing functional echocardiography to evaluate the hemodynamic status and cardiac function in neonates. The purpose of this study was to describe the current prevalence of and attitudes toward the use and training of neonatologists in functional echocardiography in the United States. METHODS: An anonymous survey was sent to United States neonatal intensive care unit medical directors. Neonatologists scored availability of echocardiography and attitudes toward the use and training of neonatologists in functional echocardiography. RESULTS: Response rate was 43.7% (247 of 565 surveys sent) and captured 95% of the neonatal-perinatal training programs. Nine percent of units had a functional echocardiography trained neonatologist; eight percent of the neonatal-perinatal training programs offered functional echocardiography training. There was no difference in the timely ability to obtain hemodynamic status with echocardiography in units compared by the presence of functional echocardiography trained neonatologists (mean = 3.13 vs. 2.67, p = 0.08) and fellowships (mean = 2.69 vs. 2.72, p = 0.85). Overall positive attitudes (mean = 14.6 ± 3.46) towards the training of neonatologists in functional echocardiography did not correlate with the perceived timely availability of echocardiography support (mean = 2.72 ± 1.43, r = −0.11, p = 0.1). CONCLUSION: Functional echocardiography use and training is not prevalent in the United States. There are positive attitudes toward the training of neonatologists in functional echocardiography that are independent of the presence of fellowships, neonatologists with echocardiography training, and the perceived availability of echocardiography support.
