Tele-Echocardiography: An Effective Solution for Expanding Access to Cardiology Services in Low-Resource Settings: A Narrative Review

Tele-echocardiography is an innovative telemedicine technology that enables remote imaging, thereby expanding access to cardiology services in underserved and low-resource settings. Real-time transmission of echocardiography images supports early detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This technology addresses barriers such as limited infrastructure, lack of trained cardiologists, and remoteness of affected populations. Advances in handheld ultrasound scanners, cloud storage, and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered image analysis have greatly improved the cost and effectiveness of tele-echocardiography. Nevertheless, there are still hurdles such as low digital coverage, high implementation cost, training gaps, and legal constraints. Broadening coverage, creating modern low-bandwidth telemedicine interfaces, and providing inexpensive diagnostic tools are the central aims for potential solutions. Access to cardiac care can be further improved by new technologies such as ultrasound scanners, real-time 5G diagnostics, and automation with AI. This review explores the current landscape, challenges, and future directions for tele-echocardiography in resource-limited environments.