What do I do with my echocardiogram (echo) results?

What to Do With Your Echocardiogram Results

You need to schedule an appointment with your physician (primary care doctor or cardiologist) to review your echocardiogram results and determine if any treatment or follow-up is needed based on the findings.

Why You Cannot Self-Interpret Your Echo

• Echocardiogram reports contain complex technical information about cardiac anatomy, chamber sizes, myocardial function, and valvular function that requires medical expertise to interpret correctly 1
• Studies show that even general medicine providers frequently misunderstand key components of echo reports, including pulmonary artery pressures, left ventricular filling pressures, and identification of abnormal structures 2
• The clinical significance of echo findings depends entirely on your symptoms, medical history, physical examination findings, and other test results—not the echo alone 1

What Your Doctor Will Do With Your Echo

Your physician will integrate the echo findings with your clinical presentation to:

• Assess cardiac structure and function: Evaluate left ventricular ejection fraction, chamber sizes, wall thickness, and valve function to diagnose conditions like heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or valvular disease 1
• Correlate with your symptoms: Determine if findings like diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, or wall motion abnormalities explain symptoms such as dyspnea or chest pain 1
• Guide treatment decisions: Use measurements of ventricular function to initiate or modify medications, determine need for further testing (like stress echo or cardiac catheterization), or plan interventions 1
• Establish baseline for monitoring: Create a reference point for future comparisons if you have chronic conditions requiring serial follow-up 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not attempt to diagnose yourself based on isolated measurements or terminology in the report—normal ranges vary by age, sex, and body size, and findings must be interpreted in clinical context 1, 2
• Do not delay follow-up if you have concerning symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or palpitations, even if you think the echo looks "normal" to you 1, 3
• Do not assume everything is fine without physician review—some serious conditions like early coronary artery disease or hibernating myocardium can have normal resting echo findings 1

Uploading Your Echo for Telemedicine

If you're trying to share your echo with a provider remotely:

• Take clear photographs of each page of the written report (not the images themselves, as these require specialized software to interpret) 4
• Use your patient portal if your healthcare system has one—this is the most secure method
• Email or fax to your doctor's office if they accept these methods, ensuring you follow HIPAA-compliant communication channels
• Bring the physical report to your next appointment if remote sharing isn't feasible