Table 5.
Most common indications, classified by appropriateness categories,* input by physician type
| Referring physician type (total number of indications input*) | First (n) | Second (n) | Third (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiologist (247) | Arrhythmias (47) | Unclassifiable (38) | Symptoms with suspected cardiac etiology (37) |
| Internist/family practitioner (73) | Symptoms with suspected cardiac etiology (26) | Murmur (13) | Prior testing that is concerning for heart disease (7) |
| Other medical subspecialist (75) | Unclassifiable (26) | Pulmonary hypertension (12) | Symptoms with suspected cardiac etiology (10) |
| Cardiac surgeon (38) | Unclassifiable (11) | Prosthetic valve (9) | Native valvular stenosis (6) or regurgitation (6) |
| Obstetrician/gynecologist (15) | Symptoms with suspected cardiac etiology (4) | Murmur (3) | Prior testing that is concerning for heart disease (2) |
| Other (14) | Unclassifiable (6) | Symptoms with suspected cardiac etiology (2) | Cardiac source of embolus (2) |
*
Because physicians may order TTE studies for more than one reason, each number reflects the total number of categories that fit the stated indication, not the total number of physician orders.