The quality of a study in a lab versus a patient's room should be enough.  I
am beginning to believe that echo, vascular and abdominal ultrasound is
taking the place of the routine EKG which was performed at the drop of a
hat.

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Susan Tice [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Sent:   Friday, September 17, 1999 9:17 PM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        portable exams

        Management at  the hospital I work at are trying to make a policy
that all
        inpatient echocardiograms will be done portable for the convenience
of the
        patient.  we have listed all the reasons why this is just not
feasible for us
        to go portable all day.  I work in a big hospital , 1 hallway being
1/4 mile
        long.  We already go portable to do unit patients and those patients
who are
        difficult to transfer to a stretcher.  My question is how many
hospitals have
        this policy in effect?  We are trying to gather data that there
aren't many
        hospitals out there that do all in house patients portables.  All
comments
        will be appreciated.   Sue in Myers, Florida.