Thanks so much to Eko for sponsoring this podcast episode!
Who You’ll Hear
Kati Kleber, MSN RN – Nurse educator, former cardiac med-surg/stepdown and neurocritical care nurse, author, and speaker.
What You’ll Learn:
- Are Digital Stethoscopes Worth The Money?
When researching digital scopes, I have found that the market has changed rapidly in the last few years. Various models have been discontinued, while others have been upgraded. After much research, these are the top three options in the electronic stethoscope space that I have come across.
| Name | Price | Warranty | Sound Amplification | Ambient Noise Cancelation | Ability to Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardonics E-Scope 7700 | $335 | 1 year | 50% greater sound sensitivity than analog | Yes | Yes | Price and warranty varied widely. Has headphones, not regular earpieces. AAA battery. Filter for heart and lung sounds. A second person can listen simultaneously. |
| Eko CORE from Littmann | $350, but likely can get for $299 | 2 years | 40x | Yes | Yes | Can toggle between digital and analog, chargeable, has Eko app to see a visualization of sounds, traditional scope feel. |
| Thinklabs One | $499 | 2 years | 100x | Yes | Yes | Can be used with any headphones, bell with a cable to headphones. May be challenging to use rapidly in code situations compared to traditional scope that can sit on the neck and quickly put on. |
The amplification of the Eko CORE is something Nurses have to come to rely on in their day-to-day clinical duties. With 40x amplification and active noise cancellation, the 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope is becoming the go-to stethoscope for nurses nationwide.
At Eko, they love Nurses so much that they decided to AMPLIFY NURSES Week, and turn it into Nurses Month! They are celebrating Nurses all month long to show our appreciation & support for their contributions to healthcare. In Honor of Nurses Month, they are giving away a grand prize of $1000 towards a trip of your choice! Eko knows that Nurses are some of the hardest working people in healthcare so they want to give you a chance to take some time to relax.
Resources:
- Digital Stethoscopes: Do you Actually Need One? – Fresh RN blog post
- Shop Eko electronic and digital stethoscopes