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SCAI Launches Regional Educational Program for Non-Interventionalist Providers
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CAI recently concluded pilot testing of a new community outreach education program directed primarily to general cardiologists and primary care physicians. The Know What Counts program is one of the Society’s SCAI Cares regional initiatives intended to bring cutting-edge Interventional Cardiology knowledge and clinical trial results to interventionalists’ partners in caregiving. The key elements of Know What Counts include collaboration with local and regional medical groups to recruit physicians in the two groups, presentations by leading interventionalists in a variety of educational formats, and a comprehensive evaluation to learn how the program is received and what changes attendees make in their practice patterns in the months following a program. Attendees are asked to respond to questions based on several clinical vignettes before each program to ascertain their decision-making skills and knowledge. They are followed up by telephone three months and again six months later and given similar vignettes to consider. The evaluation results so far indicate increased and retained knowledge about outcomes comparing PCI vs. CABG and competence in discussing the pros and cons of each procedure with patients. Findings also confirm retention of guidelines-based practices regarding dual antiplatelet therapy following implantation of drug-eluting stents.
the San Antonio Cardiovascular Society, and internists, residents, and fellows at Brooke Army Medical Center.
Next Stop, New Orleans In November 2008, SCAI offered a Know What Counts pilot presentation as a satellite event during the American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans. Forty-one physicians, mostly general and interventional cardiologists and mid-level providers, listened to three presentations: the same two delivered in San Antonio plus a new one on PCI in women, by SCAI Trustee Roxana Mehran, M.D., FSCAI. The evaluation data showed all three presentations were well-received and new information gained and retained. Knowledge Gaps Apparent From Pre-program Evaluations In both pilot sites, the pre-program evaluations documented knowledge gaps among attendees. As expected, further analysis revealed that the responses were heavily dependent on the attendee’s subspecialty. Looking for a Few Good Sites SCAI plans to conduct additional Know What Counts programs this year. A schedule of programs will be posted on www.SCAI.org. SCAI members who wish to nominate their cities as candidates for programs are invited to do so by contacting Kerry Curtis at kcurtis@scai.org. n
Inaugural Program Held in San Antonio In late summer 2008, SCAI kicked off the first pilot program Analysis of the Pre-Event Data in San Antonio. Then SCAI % San % San % New President-Elect Steven R. Bailey, Antonio Antonio Orleans 3-month Pre-event Pre-event M.D., FSCAI, and Immediate Follow-up Combined Combined Past President Bonnie Weiner, Case 1: A 53-year old woman presents with complaints of occasional chest pain and shortness of M.D., MSEC, MBA, FSCAI, breath. She has multiple risk factors. Her stress test shows moderate ischemia. delivered presentations on A. What would you do? optimizing clinical outcomes 0% 13% Start medical therapy 57% • 15 26 and stable angina, including 3 • Assess risk factors 0 13 17 • Refer to a cardiologist analysis of data from COURAGE, 50 39 0 • Conduct a stress test 15 0 SYNTAX, and other relevant –not asked– • Refer for a diagnostic catheterization 20 9 23 • All of the above clinical trials. Their audiences included family practitioners at B. An imaging stress test shows minimal ischemia. Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, What would your next approach be? 0% 0% 0% Nothing • cardiothoracic surgeons and 40 48% 0 • Continue current medical therapy medical students at the University 55 43 57 • Optimize medical therapy 5 9 34 • Refer for diagnostic catheterization of Texas Health Sciences Center, 0 0 9 • Perform CT angiogram general cardiologists and mid T he San Antonio follow-up data demonstrate that the programs increased the likelihood of appropriate referrals, level providers at an evening of correct interpretation of symptoms, and of better understanding the risks and benefits of CABG vs. PCI. symposium co-sponsored with