Hand-held ultrasound devices for cardiac assessment and diagnosis of heart failure, in the community or primary care setting

Health Technology Wales
Record ID 32018000703
English
Authors' objectives: HTW has assessed hand-held ultrasound devices, to help NHS Wales decide whether to use these products in day-to-day community care settings. Heart failure is a common condition in Wales, with over 33,000 people who have been diagnosed with heart failure by their GP. Hand-held ultrasound devices are small, “pocket-sized” machines that can be used to visualise heart structure and function. They can help decide whether people who have symptoms of heart failure, such as breathlessness, need to be referred to cardiology for further tests.
Authors' results and conclusions: There isn’t enough evidence to recommend hand-held ultrasound devices in primary or community care. HTW recommends more research in Wales that uses hand-held ultrasound devices in day-to-day community care.
Authors' recommendations: Hand-held ultrasound devices (HUDs) show promise in the diagnosis of heart failure in a primary care or community setting, but the current evidence is insufficient to support routine adoption. HUDs have the potential to reduce secondary care referrals if heart failure is excluded and to facilitate earlier treatment if confirmed, but convincing evidence is needed to substantiate any clinical and system benefits.
Authors' methods: The Evidence Appraisal Report is based on a literature search (strategy available on request) for published clinical and economic evidence on the health technology of interest. It is not a full systematic review but aims to identify the best available evidence on the health technology of interest. Researchers critically evaluate and synthesise this evidence. We include the following clinical evidence in order of priority: systematic reviews; randomised trials; non-randomised trials. We only include evidence for “lower priority” evidence where outcomes are not reported by a “higher priority” source. We also search for economic evaluations or original research that can form the basis of an assessment of costs/cost comparison. We carry out various levels of economic evaluation, according to the evidence that is available to inform this.
Authors' identified further research: HTW recommends further research to investigate the benefits of implementing HUDs in a primary care or community setting in Wales; see Guidance for more information.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2019
URL for published report: https://www.healthtechnology.wales/reports-guidance/hand-held-ultrasound-devices/
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Rapid Review
Country: Wales, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Echocardiography
  • Point-of-Care Testing
  • Heart Failure
  • Primary Health Care
  • Community Health Services
  • Ultrasonography
  • Wales
Keywords
  • Heart failure
  • Primary care
  • Community care
  • Ultrasound
  • Echocardiography
Contact
Organisation Name: Health Technology Wales
Contact Address: Floor 3, 2 Capital Quarter, Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4BZ
Contact Name: Susan Myles, PhD
Contact Email: healthtechnology@wales.nhs.uk
Copyright: Health Technology Wales
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.