Current Status of Cardiovascular Imaging in Germany: Structured Data from the National Certification Program, ESCR...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Cardiovascular imaging (CVI) is increasingly vital per current guidelines.
• Radiological institutions offer a growing range of CVI services.
• Ensuring high-quality CVI is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of cardiovascular imaging services in Germany.
• To assess the availability and quality of CVI offered by radiological institutions.
• To analyze data from certification programs and registries.

Main Methods:

• Data extracted from the German Roentgen Society (DRG) national certification program (2015-2021).
• Nationwide online survey of radiology institutes (2019).
• Data also sourced from the European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology (ESCR) registry.

Main Results:

• 71 centers and 1278 individuals certified for CVI by DRG, showing significant growth.
• Annual performance of 69,286 CT and 64,281 MRI examinations.
• Radiologists predominantly reported findings, with 48% participation in the ESCR registry.

Conclusions:

• High-quality CVI by radiologists is accessible nationwide.
• Specialist knowledge is prevalent across all practice types.
• Certification programs effectively enhance CVI expertise.
• The ESCR registry serves as a key international documentation tool.