Cardiac tests are increasingly being performed in primary care because a larger proportion of patients with cardiovascular disorders are being diagnosed, treated and monitored by primary care clinicians. Patients may often prefer to ask their general practitioner (GP) about a cardiac test, rather than ask the hospital specialist. GPs have open access at their local hospital for non-invasive cardiac tests apart from magnetic resonance imaging and computerised tomographic scanning. The cost implications of an investigation and the effects that the test and its result may have on the general well-being and psychological state of the patient should also be considered before requesting the test. Primary care clinicians need to be able to explain to patients why the test has been requested, how the test helps in their management, what it involves and what the implications are. Echocardiography provides more accurate information about cardiac chamber dimensions and wall thickness without these potential interpretational problems and without any radiological risks.