%0 Journal Article %A J J Murphy %A J P Frain %A P Ramesh %A R N Siddiqui %A C M Bossingham %T Open-access echocardiography to general practitioners for suspected heart failure. %D 1996 %J British Journal of General Practice %P 475-476 %V 46 %N 409 %X Echocardiography is now considered to be the key investigation when heart failure is suspected, and should improve clinical management. An open-access echocardiography service was piloted to 24 general practitioners and the service was audited after 250 cases. The impact on clinical management was assessed by reviewing general practice notes 2 months after the echocardiogram. Significant impairment of left ventricular function was found in 49 patients (20%). Out of these subjects, 38 had been started on an ACE inhibitor. Twenty patients were considered to have a significant valve lesion by echocritiera, of whom 14 had been referred for a cardiological opinion. The provision of an open-access echocardiography service was popular with general practitioners and the information resulted in appropriate management decisions being made. %U https://bjgp.org/content/bjgp/46/409/475.full.pdf