Cardiac Testing

• Echocardiography (resting echo) — assessment of cardiac structure, valve function, and systolic/diastolic function
• Exercise stress echocardiography (stress echo) — assessment of cardiac function under exercise stress, detection of inducible ischaemia
• Electrocardiography (ECG) — resting 12-lead ECG
• Holter monitoring (24-hour and extended) — continuous ambulatory ECG for arrhythmia detection, palpitation assessment, syncope investigation
• 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) — assessment of sustained, white coat, and masked hypertension
• Ankle-brachial index (ABI) — peripheral vascular screening
• Exercise stress ECG — treadmill stress testing with continuous ECG monitoring

Diagnostic Imaging — Springfield

• CT without contrast — chest, abdomen, pelvis, musculoskeletal, sinuses, renal
• CT with IV contrast — abdomen, pelvis, chest, organ assessment, staging
• CT angiography (CTA) — vascular assessment
• CT coronary angiography (CTCA) — non-invasive coronary artery assessment, cardiac risk stratification
• CT coronary calcium scoring — coronary artery calcium quantification
• X-ray — general radiography across all body regions

Sleep Studies

• Home sleep studies — Level 2 and Level 3 ambulatory polysomnography for obstructive sleep apnoea assessment
• CPAP trials — initial CPAP setup and compliance monitoring

Respiratory

• Lung function testing (spirometry) — assessment of airflow obstruction and restrictive lung disease

How to Refer

Referring to SmartCare Diagnostics is straightforward. We accept referrals via:

• Electronic referral — email to bookings@smartcd.com.au
• Fax referral — fax number available on smartcd.com.au
• Phone referral — call our bookings team to discuss urgent or complex referrals
• Online — visit smartcd.com.au/referring-doctors for referral information and contact details

A standard GP or specialist referral is valid for most services. Please include:

• Patient name, date of birth, and Medicare number
• Clinical indication — reason for the test and relevant history
• Specific test requested — e.g. resting echocardiogram, exercise stress echo, CT abdomen with contrast
• Relevant medications — particularly anticoagulants, beta-blockers, and metformin (for contrast CT)
• Any relevant previous results or imaging

For CTCA specifically: Medicare bulk billing applies to eligible specialist referrals. GP referrals for CTCA may attract an out-of-pocket cost. Your patient may benefit from an initial cardiology referral, with the cardiologist then requesting the CTCA under Medicare if clinically indicated. Our bookings team can advise on the most cost-effective pathway for your patient.

Turnaround and Results

We understand that timely results directly impact your clinical decision-making. Our standard turnaround times are:

• Echocardiography — report within 24 to 48 hours
• Exercise stress echocardiography — report within 24 to 48 hours
• Holter monitoring — report within 48 to 72 hours (recording plus analysis)
• ABPM — report within 48 to 72 hours
• CT and X-ray — report typically within 24 hours
• CTCA — report typically within 24 to 48 hours
• Sleep studies — report within 5 to 7 business days
• Lung function — report within 24 to 48 hours

All reports are sent electronically to the referring practitioner. Urgent or critical findings are communicated directly by phone.

Our Locations

SmartCare Diagnostics operates at five locations across south-east Queensland. Cardiac testing, Holter, ABPM, echo, and stress echo are available at all sites. CT, X-ray, and CTCA are currently available at Springfield.

• Springfield Central — full cardiac testing, CT, X-ray, CTCA, sleep studies, lung function
• Upper Mt Gravatt — full cardiac testing, sleep studies, lung function
• North Lakes — cardiac testing (echo, stress echo, Holter, ABPM, ECG)
• Capalaba — cardiac testing (echo, stress echo, Holter, ABPM, ECG)
• Ipswich — cardiac testing (echo, stress echo, Holter, ABPM, ECG), sleep studies

Bulk Billing

For eligible Medicare cardholders, the majority of our cardiac testing and diagnostic imaging services are bulk billed. There is no out-of-pocket cost for your patient for standard Medicare-eligible referrals.

Exceptions may apply to certain CT referral pathways (particularly GP-referred CTCA) and some specialist investigations. Our bookings team will advise your patient of any cost before their appointment so there are no surprises.

When to Refer — Clinical Decision Support

The following is a guide to common clinical scenarios and the appropriate SmartCare Diagnostics test. This is intended as a quick reference — clinical judgement always takes precedence.

Chest Pain — Stable, Low to Intermediate Risk

CTCA is supported by international guidelines as a first-line investigation for stable chest pain in patients at low to intermediate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease. CTCA has the highest negative predictive value of all non-invasive cardiac tests. Exercise stress echocardiography is an alternative functional test where exercise capacity is adequate.

Palpitations or Suspected Arrhythmia

Holter monitoring (24-hour or extended) captures intermittent rhythm disturbances that a resting ECG may miss. If symptoms are very infrequent, discuss with our team whether extended monitoring is appropriate.

Suspected Heart Failure or Valve Disease

Resting echocardiography assesses ventricular function, valve morphology and function, and structural abnormalities. Consider adding a stress echo if exercise tolerance is a clinical question.

Hypertension Assessment

24-hour ABPM is recommended to confirm new diagnoses of hypertension before starting long-term medication, to assess suspected white coat or masked hypertension, and to evaluate treatment adequacy.

Peripheral Vascular Disease Screening

Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive screening tool for peripheral arterial disease in patients with risk factors including diabetes, smoking, and claudication.

Suspected Sleep Apnoea

Home sleep studies (Level 2 or 3) are appropriate for patients with clinical features of obstructive sleep apnoea — snoring, witnessed apnoeas, daytime somnolence, unrefreshing sleep.

Respiratory Assessment

Lung function testing (spirometry) is indicated for investigation of dyspnoea, chronic cough, asthma assessment, COPD monitoring, and pre-operative respiratory assessment.

Why Refer to SmartCare Diagnostics?

• Bulk billed for eligible Medicare patients — no out-of-pocket cost for most services
• Appointments typically available within one week
• Reports returned electronically within 24 to 72 hours depending on test type
• Five locations across south-east Queensland — convenient for your patients wherever they are based
• Full cardiac testing suite at every location — echo, stress echo, Holter, ABPM, ECG, ABI
• CT, CTCA, and X-ray at Springfield — same-day imaging available
• QIP-accredited practice
• Experienced cardiac sonographers and reporting cardiologists
• Direct phone line for urgent or complex referral discussions

REFER A PATIENT

To refer a patient or discuss a referral, contact SmartCare Diagnostics on bookings@smartcd.com.au or visit smartcd.com.au/referring-doctors.

 

INTERNAL LINK

Related: Exercise Stress Echocardiogram | CTCA | Holter Monitor Testing | 24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring | CT Scan Springfield