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Just a 2nd year medical student, but was curious - do any physicians actually rely on or even look at the computer interpretation of the ECG? How accurate are these interpretations?
Look at, yes. Rely, never. Almost always accurate for interval measurements and whatnot, sure, but have seen more than a few be wrong about determining rhythm or overcalling (or not calling) an MI.
Do you know which physicians rely on computer ECG interpretations?Just a 2nd year medical student, but was curious - do any physicians actually rely on or even look at the computer interpretation of the ECG? How accurate are these interpretations?
Cardiologist Admits to Just Using EKG Computer Interpretation for over 15 YearsDo you know which physicians rely on computer ECG interpretations?
Defendants.
In med school and residency, our attending would fold the top of the ekg back so you couldn't see it. Then ask you to interpret it. It's a good habit to get into.
Had one "computer" reading two shifts ago that called a true 3rd degree heart block.... "Second-degree, Type-1".
The MLP discharged the patient. My name on the chart. I never saw the EKG until the bounceback.
Patient is fine. No damage.
You best be sure that I'm going to have a talk with the MLP. Here's the real kicker; the patient had full workup (by MLP), and I was only talked to briefly to select an antibiotic for her "URI". No mention of EKG findings.
Moral of the story? Supervise your MLPs. Hard.
In med school and residency, our attending would fold the top of the ekg back so you couldn't see it. Then ask you to interpret it. It's a good habit to get into.
Had one "computer" reading two shifts ago that called a true 3rd degree heart block.... "Second-degree, Type-1".
The MLP discharged the patient. My name on the chart. I never saw the EKG until the bounceback.
Patient is fine. No damage.
You best be sure that I'm going to have a talk with the MLP. Here's the real kicker; the patient had full workup (by MLP), and I was only talked to briefly to select an antibiotic for her "URI". No mention of EKG findings.
Moral of the story? Supervise your MLPs. Hard.
There is a policy where the doc needs to look at every EKG, but this is sometimes not actually what happens - part-timers don't know this, and the locums just don't care.
Here's how this fell thru the cracks. Patient got to the ED 2 hours prior to my shift. Doc "on-duty" should have looked at it; probably didn't. After workup is done, MLP aks me to dispo patient, and "lists" the patient as being under my care. I never got to see the EKG. This MLP, in particular, is 8 months out of PA school, and doesn't know what she doesn't know. Worse than that; she doesn't want to hear that she could be wrong.
Ditto. Ours can't even relinquish it to the residents - they can look, but they can't touch until an attending has it.Yikes! Where I work the techs who do the EKGs hand it to the attending. They stand by you until you sign it so there's no question a doc looked at it.