Image Processing for Automated Diagnosis of Cardiac Diseases highlights current and emerging technologies for the automated diagnosis of cardiac diseases. It presents concepts and practical algorithms, including techniques for the automated diagnosis of organs in motion using image processing. This book is suitable for biomedical engineering researchers, engineers and scientists in research and development, and clinicians who want to learn more about and develop advanced concepts in image processing to overcome the challenges of automated diagnosis of heart disease. - Includes advanced techniques to improve diagnostic methods for various cardiac diseases - Uses methods to improve the existing diagnostic features of echocardiographic machines - Develops new diagnostic features for echocardiographic machines

Leading heart surgeons (including the President of the Royal College of Surgeons) bridge the ever-widening gap between the "student" (both pre- and post-graduate) and an increas- ingly remote group of medical and surgical specialists in this , the only book devoted entirely to the established principles of cardiac diagnosis.

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.

My personal interest in cardiac Dopplerarose from longexperience in diagnos ing carotid artery disease using Doppler continuous wave ultrasound with fre quencey spectral analysis. The work of Dr. Liv Hatle of Trondheim, who was then using analogue tracings for cardiac Doppler, inspired me to try CW Doppler combined with spectral analysis and high-pass filtering techniques. The results with this system, without benefit of standard echocardiography were so pro ductive that a special instrument was produced by Carolina Medical Electronics for worldwide marketing. Our experience led to the development of an interna tional symposium and training program. These symposia gave birth to the Inter national Cardiac Doppler Society and Volume I of this book series. This second volume on Cardiac Doppler Diagnosis is an outgrowth of the successofVolume I and the excellent work of many clinical scientists. Doppler instrumentation continues to improve with integration ofboth contin uous wave and pulsed wave Doppler with echocardiography. Color directional Doppler imaging techniques led byourJapanese colleagues is finding acceptance as a rapid screening method to find special regions of interest where more quantitative continuous wave with its quantitative capabilities of Doppler can be brought to bear. I wish to thank the many fine authors ofthese two volumes for their excellent efforts and, again, Marian Wienker for her prodigious assistance.