[Curriculum and expert courses on pacemaker and ICD therapy].
1Klinik II und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin, Universität zu Köln, Klinikum Merheim, Ostmerheimer Str. 200, 51109, Köln, Deutschland. kraemerL@kliniken-koeln.de
Herzschrittmachertherapie & Elektrophysiologie
|September 14, 2010
Summary
German medical device regulations necessitate specialized training for pacemaker and ICD therapies. Educational curricula ensure physicians gain essential knowledge and practical skills for safe cardiac implantable electrical device application.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Education
- Biomedical Engineering
Context:
- German medical device law mandates specific training for healthcare professionals.
- Cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIEDs) require specialized knowledge for safe application.
- The German Cardiac Society offers competency courses based on legal requirements.
Purpose:
- To outline the development and structure of "Practice of Pacemaker Therapy" and "ICD Therapy" curricula.
- To detail the competency requirements for physicians using CIEDs, including technical knowledge and arrhythmia understanding.
- To inform cardiologists and other physicians about available training to document expertise in CIED therapy.
Summary:
- Two curricula, "Practice of Pacemaker Therapy" and "ICD Therapy," have been developed to meet German legal requirements for CIED application.
- These courses provide theoretical and practical training in CIEDs, covering device knowledge, dysfunction understanding, and arrhythmia management.
- Physicians can acquire and document competency through these courses, although formal legal obligation is absent if competency is proven otherwise.
Impact:
- Over 2,000 physicians trained in pacemaker therapy and over 1,000 in ICD therapy since 2005.
- The curricula are recognized as comprehensive and practically valuable for CIED education.
- High demand for these specialized training courses is expected to continue.
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