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Paediatric and adult congenital cardiology education and training in Europe

2022; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 32; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s104795112100528x

1467-1107

Colin J. McMahon, Ruth Heying, Werner Budts, Anna Cavigelli-Brunner, M. А. Shkolnikova, Ina Michel‐Behnke, Rainer Kozlik‐Feldmann, Håkan Wåhlander, Daniël De Wolf, Sylvie Di‐Filippo, Laslo Kornyei, Maria Giovanna Russo, Anna Kaneva-Nencheva, Senka Mesihović-Dinarević, Samo Vesel, Gylfi Óskarsson, George Papadopoulos, Andreas Petropoulos, Berna Şaylan Çevik, Antonis Jossif, Gabriela Doros, Thomas Krusensjerna-Hafstrom, Joanna Szymkiewicz‐Dangel, Otto Rahkonen, Dimpna C. Albert, Sílvia Álvares, Henrik Brun, Jan Janoušek, Olli Pitkänen‐Argillander, Inga Voges, Ingūna Lubaua, Skaistė Sendžikaitė, Alan G. Magee, Mark Rhodes, Nico A. Blom, Frances Bu’Lock, Katarina Hanséus, Ornella Milanesi,

Vascular anomalies and interventions

Limited data exist on training of European paediatric and adult congenital cardiologists.A structured and approved questionnaire was circulated to national delegates of Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology in 33 European countries.Delegates from 30 countries (91%) responded. Paediatric cardiology was not recognised as a distinct speciality by the respective ministry of Health in seven countries (23%). Twenty countries (67%) have formally accredited paediatric cardiology training programmes, seven (23%) have substantial informal (not accredited or certified) training, and three (10%) have very limited or no programme. Twenty-two countries have a curriculum. Twelve countries have a national training director. There was one paediatric cardiology centre per 2.66 million population (range 0.87-9.64 million), one cardiac surgical centre per 4.73 million population (range 1.63-10.72 million), and one training centre per 4.29 million population (range 1.63-10.72 million population). The median number of paediatric cardiology fellows per training programme was 4 (range 1-17), and duration of training was 3 years (range 2-5 years). An exit examination in paediatric cardiology was conducted in 16 countries (53%) and certification provided by 20 countries (67%). Paediatric cardiologist number is affected by gross domestic product (R2 = 0.41).Training varies markedly across European countries. Although formal fellowship programmes exist in many countries, several countries have informal training or no training. Only a minority of countries provide both exit examination and certification. Harmonisation of training and standardisation of exit examination and certification could reduce variation in training thereby promoting high-quality care by European congenital cardiologists.