Are there standards of case loads for cardiac sonographers?
There have been a few surveys over the past few years which gathered data on the average number of cases sonographers would perform in a day. The data from the 2002 ASE survey showed the most common average of studies per day by one sonographer was 8-10. Other surveys we have come across also validate the ASE survey results. The only true “standard” which exists is the ICAEL lab accreditation standards. The ASE, as a sponsoring organization, supports those standards as good practice to maintain quality. These standards suggest allowing a minimum of 45-60 minutes for an uncomplicated transthoracic case, and possibly another 15 – 30 minutes for a complicated case. This standard would fall into line with the benchmark data survey results of the most common number of studies per day at 8-10. The other issue to not leave out of any discussion of number of cases per day is the physical effects of scanning too many patients per day. Many well known speakers on the subject of musculoskeletal i
There have been a few surveys over the past few years which gathered data on the average number of cases sonographers would perform in a day. The data from the 2010 ASE survey showed that the number of scans varied per day, though the majority of sonographers performed more than 6 scans per day. The most frequently reported number of scans was 8 per day. The average per day in a hospital setting was 6. Please note that the number of pediatric studies is lower. Other surveys we have come across also validate the ASE survey results. The only true “standard” which exists is the ICAEL lab accreditation standards. The ASE, as a sponsoring organization, supports those standards as good practice to maintain quality. These standards suggest allowing a minimum of 45-60 minutes for an uncomplicated transthoracic case, and possibly another 15 – 30 minutes for a complicated case. This standard would fall into line with the benchmark data survey results of the most common number of studies per day
