Surprises

Would it surprise you that:

• when tested non-IM physicians who thought they could read EKGs failed the test approximately 70% of the time?
• that missed MI's off of EKGs are the highest proportion of malpractice cases for Family Practice physcians?
• many physicians don't want to read EKGs taken at their healthcare organization, but feel they must because they don't have adequate resources to get the expert opinion they want?
• that the two top loci across all malpractice cases for healthcare organizations are history (80%) and EKGs (68%)? The next two loci did not add up to EKGs' percentage?
  
• When tested IM physicians who thought they could read EKGs failed the the test approximately 50% of the time?
• that hospitals and medical centers more that 50 miles from a major population center (SMSA), don't have access to the cardiologists it takes to get the most out of EKGs?
• using the Internet, the expertise of cardiologists in the SMSAs can be harnessed at rates not far above what Medicare pays?

WaveWatch believes that getting the most out of EKGs is an important part of lowering costs in healthcare and improving the care we all give to patients. We also support the physicians who practice away from SMSA's and are keystones to their community's healthcare.