67 Original Article Echocardiography Services: An Overview Edgar Lira-Filho 1 , Samira Morhy 1 , Ana Cristina Camarozano 4 , David Le Bihan 2 , José Lázaro Andrade 3 , Jorge Assef 2 Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein 1 , Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia 2 , Instituto de Radiologia - Hospital das Clínicas - FMUSP 3 , São Paulo, SP; Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná 4 , Curitiba, PR - Brazil Abstract Introduction: Due to an increasing growth in the number of echocardiographists in Brazil, as well as in echocardiography services, it has become paramount understanding the status quo of this practice in our country. Objective: Perceive an accurate profile of echocardiographic services offered in Brazil. Methods: A survey was carried out through the Internet with members from the Departament of Cardiovascular Imaging. They answered specific questions about infrastructure, services provided, number of tests, training and professional qualification. Results: Among the 429 participating centers, only those that answered the whole questionnaire were taken into account (n = 157). Of these 157 centers, 55 offer specialized training in echocardiography, and most of them is located in the Brazilian southeastern region. It was observed that 146 services (93%) have at least one professional certified in echocardiography by the Departament of Cardiovascular Imaging of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. Conclusion: Most echocardiography centers in Brazil have professionals qualified and trained to perform the method. (Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc. 2015;28(2):67-72) Keywords: Echocardiography/methods; Echocardiography/statistics & numerical data; Echocardiography Transesophageal; Diagnostic Imaging/trends. Mailing Address: Centro Cardiopulmonar - MDP • Avenida Albert Einstein, 627/701, Bloco A1, Intermediário 3, Postal Code 05652-900, São Paulo, SP – Brazil E-mail: edgarblf@gmail.com; edgarblf@me.com Manuscript received on 11/04/2014; revised on 12/05/2014; accepted on 12/13/2014. DOI: 10.5935/2318-8219.20150014 Introduction Echocardiography is a method well established nowadays in supporting the diagnosis of several diseases. 1 Many modalities developed over the years were added to the transthoracic echocardiography, such as transesophageal, pharmacological and physical stress, three-dimensional and strain imaging modalities. Such development required from echocardiographists continuous update about the resources in use, as well as from echocardiography laboratories, that had to start providing these modalities to an increasingly demanding market. A quality service with highly trained professionals became necessary to address such demand. In fact, this is a global trend already supported by guidelines 2-5 and by institutions that certify the quality of echocardiography laboratories, such as the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission 6 . In Brazil, during the Echocardiography Symposium held in Recife, Pernambuco, in 1980, the idea of creating an echocardiography department in the Brazilian Society of Cardiology was suggested. The goal was achieved and eight years later, the first board of the Department of Echocardiography was elected, followed by the first Brazilian congress in the area, held in 1989. Due to the increasing number of echocardiographists in the country, it became necessary to establish standards for the practice of such diagnosis method in order to ensure effective training in the subjects, and therefore, appropriate professional assistance. The first qualification exam was held in 1991 and since then, it has gradually become increasingly professionalized. Today there are 1,673 physicians certified in echocardiography in Brazil. The natural demand for highly qualified professionals also grows and follows this trend, in order to ensure excellence in the practice of echocardiography in our country. Objective Observe the characteristics of echocardiographic services in Brazil, outlining a profile of services provided. Material Research carried out From January to February 2013, a letter of invitation to participate in an on-line survey was sent to 1,987 members of the Department of Cardiovascular Imaging of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (DIC-SBC), by email and by mail, in order to outline a profile of echocardiographic centers in Brazil, aiming to set up an assistance plan to