Advanced electronic consultation between primary care and cardiology: impact of tele-echocardiography and event-based electrocardiographic monitoring

Abstract

Electronic consultation (econsultation) has proven effective in optimizing communication between primary care and cardiology, reducing waiting times and unnecessary face-to-face referrals. This study assessed the impact of incorporating tele-echocardiography and event-based electrocardiographic monitoring (EEM) into an advanced e-consultation model. A prospective observational cohort of 1200 consecutive e-consultations was analysed; in 354 cases, the advanced pathway was activated, including 300 tele-echocardiograms and 54 EEM studies. Remote resolution increased from 38.0% in the traditional model to 54.3% in the advanced model (P < 0.01). Diagnostic agreement was high (κ=0.85 for tele-echo vs. standard echo; κ =0.75 for primary care vs. cardiologist interpretation), with only 6.7% non-interpretable studies and no major adverse events during a mean follow- up of 19 months. This structured implementation of tele-echocardiography and EEM suggests a feasible, scalable, and safe innovation aligned with digital transformation goals in cardiology.