Talk:Cardiac sonographer

I'm against a merger of Echocardiology and Echocardiography: --Ekko 07:56, 5 December 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) Echocardiography describes the art and science of excamining the heart by ultrasound. The article of echocardiology describes one of several professions who performs echocardiography.
 * 2) Echocardiology (shouldn't it be echocardiologist?) is a seldom used term. (Echocardiographic) sonographer or echo-tech (slightly condecending) is more common
 * 3) The article about echocardiology is valid only in the USA (and perhaps Canada?). An article about sonographers in diferent countries would be interesting though.


 * I'm not sure. I think echocardiography can mention which type of professionals perform echos. This page has its own merit if it contains a description of the training, professional organisations etc. But most echocardiographers also perform other cardiovascular investigations. JFW | T@lk  12:17, 5 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Again, this is (probably) true only in certain parts of the world (north America). I still think a separate article on personell would be best, since this is a complex issue. --Ekko 07:44, 6 December 2005 (UTC)


 * Sure, as long as some content peculiar to that topic can be inserted. JFW | T@lk  09:41, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

The terms Echocardiographer and Sonographer should not be merged, but they should be cross-referenced. Echocardiographers specifically study the heart using sonography and are also known as Cardiac Sonographers. The credential for Echocardiographer is the “Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer” (RDCS). There are three specific certifying examinations that fall under the title of Echocardiographer: Fetal Echo, Pediatric Echo and Adult Echo… all use the RDCS as a credential.

Sonographers include a number of different specialties, including: abdominal, OB/GYN, breast, cardiac, and neuro… among others, some of whom necessarily never look at hearts except for obstetrical sonographers who also study the fetal heart. For specifics of the credentials of all of these see the ARDMS credentials: http://www.ardms.org/examinations/outlines.htm and http://www.ardms.org/appresources/app.pdf, see page 5. DuBose 13:41, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I moved the page from echocardiology to cardiac sonographer. With a reference to/from sonographer it should be OK. --Ekko 08:49, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The implication that an Associates Degree is a requirement for employment in the U.S. is not correct. A very large number of practitioners have learned on the job and not had any college education. True, the ARDMS now requires this but CCI does not and neither RDCS or RCS is currently a legal requirement for employment as an echocardiographer. While such requirements would be good to implement, the general public should not be given the impression that they receive any governmental protection regarding who performs their echocardiogram. As the saying goes, their hair stylist may be required to have a license, but not their echocardiographer!

Gershomsl 18:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)