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- My high school student has signed up for a screening; can my college-age/middle school age child also get a screening? College students are welcome to sign up as long as your school has room in their schedule to accommodate these siblings however, echocardiograms are not recommend for students until they reach the end of their 8th grade year due to the possibility of a "false negative" test result.
- Can I get a refund if we can't make it to our appointment? Technologists are scheduled based on the number of appointments made by student and their families and BESTT for U.S., Inc. must pay them regardless of the number who actually show up. The program operates on a tight budget in order to keep the test cost low for everyone. Therefore, unless the student has a legitimate excuse for missing their appointment, checks are non-refundable.
- How soon will I hear from the doctor? All tests will be reviewed by one of our cardiologists within 5 - 7 working days of the screening date, depending on the total number of screenings that day. Any test that is deemed to reveal abnormalities will result in a phone call to the parents, from the cardiologist, immediately. If no call is received within the time frame, then families can rest assured that their tests showed no abnormalities.
- What will it mean if my child is found to have HCM or other abnormalities? Will they still be able to participate in sports? The answers to these questions depend on the individual case and the type of abnormality discovered. The parents will be told to seek additional medical tests and treatment for their child so that the child may look forward to a long and happy life.
- We aren't sure if we can make it that day, or not, so do I have to have an appointment? Yes, appointments are required so that the day flows smoothly without long waits for everyone else.
- How long will it take? The test takes approximately 8 minutes and the entire process from check-in to conclusion, should take no more than 30 minutes if everyone is keeping appointments in a timely fashion.
- My family is not "high risk" so do we really need to do this? Because of the number of "new mutations" in HCM, many people who have enlarged hearts today are not showing any symptoms and do not have a family history therefore; an echocardiogram is a good idea for all teens. It takes just a few minutes, only needs to be performed once and should be part of any comprehensive check up, especially for teen athletes.
- We'll be out of town that day, what should we do? Check with your school administrators to see if they are planning another screening at a later date at your school. Otherwise, the school staff can check with BESTT for U.S., Inc., to see if any other screenings will be occurring in your area soon.
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