Current status and needs for changes in critical care training: the voice of the young cardiologists

Katarzyna Czerwińska-Jelonkiewicz; Santiago Montero; J Bañeras; A Wood; A Zeid; S De Rosa; F Guerra; O Tica; F Serrano; A Bohm; I Ahrens; M Gierlotka; J Masip; E Bonnefoy; M Lettino; P Kirchhof; A Sionis; Young National Ambassadors (YNA) of Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACVC), European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

doi:10.1093/ehjacc/zuaa027

Current status and needs for changes in critical care training: the voice of the young cardiologists

Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2021 Mar 5;10(1):94-101. doi: 10.1093/ehjacc/zuaa027.

Authors

Katarzyna Czerwińska-Jelonkiewicz^{1

2}, Santiago Montero^{3

4}, J Bañeras⁵, A Wood⁶, A Zeid⁷, S De Rosa⁸, F Guerra⁹, O Tica¹⁰, F Serrano¹¹, A Bohm¹², I Ahrens¹³, M Gierlotka¹⁴, J Masip¹⁵, E Bonnefoy¹⁶, M Lettino¹⁷, P Kirchhof^{18

19}, A Sionis²⁰; Young National Ambassadors (YNA) of Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACVC), European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

Affiliations

¹ Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Gustawa Herlinga-Grudzinskiego 1, 30-705 Krakow, Poland.
² Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, Hill End Road, UB9 6JH, London, UK.
³ Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
⁴ Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
⁵ Acute Cardiovascular Care Unit, Department of Cardiology, Centre de Simulació Clínica Avançada VHISCA, Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 119, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
⁶ University Hospital of Leicester, Leicester, LE3 9QP, UK.
⁷ El Maamoura Chest Hospital-Cardiology Department, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁸ Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, 88100 Calabria, Italy.
⁹ Cardiology and Arrhythmology Clinic, Marche Polytechnic University, University Hospital "Ospedali Riuniti Umberto I - Lancisi - Salesi", 60121 Ancona Italy.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medical Discipline, University of Oradea, 1st of December Square, no 10, Oradea, Bihor County, Romania.
¹¹ The European Society of Cardiology, Sophia Antipolis, CS 80179 Biot, France.
¹² Department of Acute Cardiology, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, 833 48 Bratislava 37, Slovakia.
¹³ Cardiology and Medical Intensive Care, Augustinerinnen Hospital, 50678 Cologne, Germany.
¹⁴ Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Opole, pl. Kopernika 11a 45-040 Opole, Poland.
¹⁵ Intensive Care Department, Consorci Sanitari Integral University of Barcelona, Barcelona, AVENIDA JOSEP MOLINS, 29 - 41 08906, Spain.
¹⁶ Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, Cardiologic Hospital Louis Pradel, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, 69002 Lyon, France.
¹⁷ Cardiovascular Department, San Gerardo Hospital, ASST-Monza, Via Pegolesi 33 20900 Monza, Italy.
¹⁸ Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK.
¹⁹ University Heart and Vascular Center, UKE Hamburg, Martinistraße 52 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
²⁰ Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Carrer de Sant Quintí, 89, 08041, Barcelona, Spain.

PMID: 33580774
DOI: 10.1093/ehjacc/zuaa027

Abstract

Aims: The implementation of the 2013 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Core Curriculum guidelines for acute cardiovascular care (acc) training among European countries is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the current status of acc training among cardiology trainees and young cardiologists (<40 years) from ESC countries.

Methods and results: The survey (March-July 2019) asked about details of cardiology training, self-confidence in acc technical and non-technical skills, access to training opportunities, and needs for further training in the field. Overall 614 young doctors, 31 (26-43) years old, 55% males were surveyed. Place and duration of acc training differed between countries and between centres in the same country. Although the majority of the respondents (91%) had completed their acc training, the average self-confidence to perform invasive procedures and to manage acc clinical scenarios was low-44% (27.3-70.4). The opportunities for simulation-based learning were scarce-18% (5.8-51.3), as it was previous leadership training (32%) and knowledge about key teamwork principles was poor (48%). The need for further acc training was high-81% (61.9-94.3). Male gender, higher level of training centres, professional qualifications of respondents, longer duration of acc/intensive care training, debriefings, and previous leadership training as well as knowledge about teamwork were related to higher self-confidence in all investigated aspects.

Conclusions: The current cardiology training program is burdened by deficits in acc technical/non-technical skills, substantial variability in programs across ESC countries, and a clear gender-related disparity in outcomes. The forthcoming ESC Core Curriculum for General Cardiology is expected to address these deficiencies.

Keywords: Acute cardiovascular care training; Cardiology training; Critical care training; Gender disparities in training; Leadership training; Simulation-based learning.

MeSH terms

Adult
Cardiologists*
Cardiology*
Critical Care
Europe
Female
Humans
Male
Surveys and Questionnaires