EKG Reader Certification

Started 35 years ago, the Wagner ECG Reader Test (WERT) was born out of a need to train non-cardiologists to read ECGs with equal proficiency as Cardiologists.  As Coronary Care Units (CCUs) were being established and cardiac care advanced rapidly, the demand for expert ECG interpretation exceeded the supply of available Cardiologists.  Dr Galen Wagner, a highly regarded cardiologist and researcher, was asked to establish a standard by which non-cardiologists could demonstrate an equivalent expertise in ECG interpretation.  The result was WERT.

While Dr. Wagner's goal was to significantly improve the quality of interpretations being made by non-cardiologist physicians, it turns out that the test requirements he developed are so stringent that many cardiologists do not pass the examination on their first try.  Knowing this, some hospitals have begun requiring that all physicians conducting over-reads first pass the Wagner test, even cardiologists.

Doctor2Doctor uses a combination of the WERT and continuous in-house testing to certify its readers.  While ECG machines have proliferated due to decreasing price-tags, many experts, including the American College of Cardiologists (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have called for the use of certified over-reading in all primary care settings, not just major hospitals.  In fact, ACC and AHA issued a joint statement in 2001, advocating for a standardized test to become the "primary pathway" to ECG over-reading privileges. 

Here at Doctor2Doctor, we believe that WERT, as the only standardized ECG test currently in existence, is on its way to quickly becoming the recognized standard of care.  Years of experience with WERT have convinced Dr. Paul Mele, founder of Doctor2Doctor, that such a shift in the standard of care will significantly raise the bar in terms of patient care and risk management.  That is why Doctor2Doctor is proud to offer its Expert ECG Interpretation Service™.