Many factors drive increased use.

摘要

Kevin Hayes and colleagues (Jan/Feb 07) argue that because Medicare's use of echocar-diography (heart ultrasound) is growing more quickly than other physician services, echo-cardiography must be overpriced. The premise is incorrect. Many factors contribute to the use of echocardiography, including the increasing prevalence of heart disease, the increasing survival rate of patients with heart disease, and technological advances that have expanded echocardiography's clinical applications. Ironically, these factors are discussed in other articles in the same issue of Health Affairs.