Training in cardiac computed tomography: EACVI certification process

The importance of setting a standard of cardiology training and accreditation process in Europe is an ongoing mission of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The ESC Core Cardiology Curriculum has been adopted in several countries as a framework for training and competencies to be acquired for general cardiology certification and recertification.

The need for competency-based subspecialized training has also been recognized. The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), a registered branch of the ESC, is committed to maintaining a high standard of professional excellence among cardiologists specialized in cardiovascular imaging (CVI) throughout Europe. To ensure a uniform quality standard of practice and professional excellence, the EACVI embarked on developing and providing an individual certification process for each imaging modality. This certification process is currently available for adult transthoracic echocardiography (https://www.escardio.org/Education/Career-Development/Certification/Adult-Transthoracic-Echo), adult transoesophageal echocardiography (https://www.escardio.org/Education/Career-Development/Certification/Adult-Transesophageal-Echo), congenital heart disease echocardiography (https://www.escardio.org/Education/Career-Development/Certification/Congenital-Heart-Disease-Echo), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (https://www.escardio.org/Education/Career-Development/Certification/Cardiovascular-Magnetic-Resonance), soon also for cardiovascular magnetic resonance in congenital and paediatric heart disease and nuclear cardiology.

Starting from 2018, the EACVI will offer a certification process for cardiac computed tomography (CCT) based on the EACVI CCT core syllabus. The objective is to certify individuals who demonstrate the knowledge and competency in CCT. The certification process assesses the candidates’ knowledge, evaluates training and skills acquired.

At the end of this process, certified individuals will have successfully demonstrated a European standard for competency and to have the ‘know how’ for acquisition, interpretation, and reporting CCT exams. EACVI certification of CCT competency is not a compulsory or regulatory certificate. An individual’s right to report and sign clinical CCT studies in individual countries remains defined by national laws and regulations.

Reference

Pontone G, Moharem-Elgamal S, Maurovich-Horvat P, Gaemperli O, Pugliese F, Westwood M, Stefanidis A, Fox KF, Popescu BA. Training in cardiac computed tomography: EACVI certification process. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017 Dec 11. doi: 10.1093/ehjci/jex310. [Epub ahead of print]

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