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Accreditation Process
Accreditation in Adult Transoesophageal Echocardiography
A joint initiative by the European Association of Echocardiography (EAE), a Registered Branch of the ESC and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologists (EACTA).
Please read carefully the:
» Instructions for candidates (PDF)
Aims
- Accreditation is run as a service jointly by the European Association of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologists and is not necessarily a compulsory or regulatory certificate of competence or excellence.
- Applications for accreditation are welcomed from sonographers (technicians) and doctors of all disciplines.
- The goals of accreditation are to protect patients from undergoing transoesophageal echocardiographic examinations performed by unqualified persons and to set a European standard for competency and excellence in transoesophageal echocardiography.
- Accredited echocardiographers are expected to be able to perform and report routine transoesophageal echocardiographic studies unsupervised.
- While European Accreditation is designed to test the competency of an individual to be able to perform, interpret and report routine transoesophageal echocardiographic studies unsupervised, the right to report and sign clinical studies in individual countries will be defined by national laws and regulations.
- Accreditation in transoesophageal echocardiography should bring credibility and professional legitimacy to an individual by demonstrating competency by the successful passage of examinations.
- The accreditation process will include a written and a practical component.
- The accreditation process will identify qualified practitioners of transoesophageal echocardiography and should enhance the professional image of transoesophageal echocardiographers. It will also provide statistics and records about transoesophageal echocardiography that can be easily accessed.
- As echo skills can only be maintained by continued education and practical involvement, accreditation will be granted for a period of five years. After this time a re-accreditation process will be required to maintain accreditation involving demonstration of continued practice and learning in the field of transoesophageal echocardiography.
Process & Requirements
- Enrolment for the accreditation process will be through the European Association of Echocardiography administrator at the European Heart House.
- The exam can be taken only after acceptance for enrolment and should normally be first attempted within 1 year of enrolment.
- The practical assessment (log book) must be completed in a 24 month period, typically within 12 months before or after completing the exam assessment. (Candidates are encouraged to start the log book after enrolment and not wait for the examination).
- The following must be submitted, please find the forms » here (PDF):
- Copies of reports on 125 clinical transoesophageal cases performed and reported (in the national language) by the candidate (anonymised) or 75 cases for those holding a recognised accreditation in transthoracic echocardiography(Note candidates for the first exam in June 2005 WILL have 24 months to complete their log book)
- Summary Sheet
- A letter from a supervisor testifying that the studies were performed and reported by the candidate
- A letter from the supervisor documenting training and the review of studies undertaken by the candidate
- A logbook should be first submitted within 12 months after the date of completing the exam. Failure to do so will necessitate repeating the entire process from the beginning
- The fee for the complete Transoesophageal Accreditation process are listed in the below table. The fee is payable, in advance, upon enrolment, and will cover the exam and logbook submission. Candidates who are unsuccessful in the exam will be charged a reduced fee to re-sit this section.
| Early Fees | Onsite Fees |
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| Standard | €200 | €250 |
| EAE/EACTA Members | €170 | €200 |
| Resit | €100 | €150 |
Questionnaire examples
- Theory Multiple Choice Questions; Echo Reporting Section MCQs and Glossary are available » here (PDF)
To obtain accreditation you must pass both the written and practical parts of the assessment.
Further information can be found on the » European Association of Echocardiography (EAE)
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