The use of decision support tools and automation in medical practice is not new. Early tools employed simple regression models to reduce heterogeneity and offer more structured care. In cardiology, initial examples of decision support tools included the Framingham risk scores for primary prevention risk stratification and automated sliding scale dose adjustments for heparin or warfarin. Since then, automation processes have become more sophisticated and are now widespread in many routine aspects of medical practice. In cardiology, these include automated […]

In clinical practice, it is not unusual to come across two relatively serious clinical conditions that occur concomitantly and may justify the patient’s symptoms. For example, associations between aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease, or between aortic stenosis and primary or secondary mitral regurgitation, both moderate to severe, are common in the real world. In the case of patients with low surgical risk, combined treatment is a consensus at the time of surgical intervention despite the consequences of these combined […]

Willem Einthoven – A Brief Biographical Overview In 1924, the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Willem Einthoven for “the discovery of the mechanism of the electrocardiogram” (ECG). This prestigious award illustrated the relevance of Einthoven’s research, which provided crucial data on cardiovascular pathophysiology, and that would go on to form one of the pillars of modern Cardiology. Willem Einthoven was born in 1860 in Semarang, on the island of Java, then part of the Dutch East […]

Abstract Background Despite significant progress in improving the quality of cardiovascular care, persistent gaps remain in terms of inconsistent adherence to guideline recommendations. Objective This study evaluates the effects of implementing a quality improvement program adapted from the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines™ initiative on adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart failure (HF). Methods We examined demographics, quality measures, and short-term outcomes in patients hospitalized with ACS, AF, and […]

Abstract Background The Cardiology Certification Exam is issued annually by the Brazilian Cardiology Society and set and applied by the Judging Committee for the Cardiologist Title (CJTEC). The psychometric analysis of the exam items using the Item Response Theory (IRT) may provide robust data that can help in the continuous improvement of this instrument. Objectives To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 2019 Cardiology Certification Exam in relation to the IR parameters. Methods This was an observational study, with psychometric […]

Abstract Background Considering demographic data related to the cardiologist’s fields of work in Brazil, the administrative board of the InCor medical residency program decided for an update of its curriculum content, to adapt the educational process to the cardiologist’s work reality. Objective This article aimed to describe the recent updates applied to the InCor medical residency program. Methods In the article, we described the recent updates on the InCor residency program, and compared the current curriculum track with the previous […]