Cardiac CT eLearning - Part A

	Earn a certificate of completion
	Medium
	Approximately 13 hours to complete
	100% online
	Self-paced
	English

About the course:

Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) has now become an essential part of specialist training programme in both Clinical Radiology and Cardiology in UK with requirement of training to an independent level. This has been possible with continuous advances in CCT technology and evidence base leading to its recommendation as the first line of investigation in patients with stable chest pain by NICE (CG95), ESC (European Society of Cardiology), and most recently the AHA (American Heart Association) guidelines. However, cardiac CT is now used in a large variety of clinical indications including evaluation of coronary artery disease in other situations, planning for structural heart disease, congenital heart disease, pericardial disease, and cardiac neoplasms.

In the UK, the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (BSCI) and Cardiac CT (BSCCT) has laid down a detailed curriculum for training in CCT at different levels (Levels 1, 2 initial, 2 clinical practitioner, and 3). The training for all levels includes didactic learning in CCT physics, techniques, and clinical applications equivalent to 16 hours of CPD besides a requirement of hands-on training for levels 2 and 3.

This e-Learning course is designed for trainees (as well as consultants) in both Radiology and Cardiology (and for anyone else interested) to provide comprehensive didactic learning towards the required CPD. The lectures have been provided by expert Radiographers, Medical Physicists, consultant Radiologists and Cardiologists, involved in the practice of cardiac CT. Those aspiring for Level 2 certification (initial) should obtain hands-on training at their base hospital as required by the BSCI/BSCCT guidance by liaising with their local cardiac CT consultant.

The course is divided into two parts - A and B. Part A of the course is now available and comprises of the several topics (link to the catalogue) with each topic followed by a knowledge check. Part B will be launched as soon as the lectures are ready.

This is a self-directed course. Once you start the course, you can continue at your own pace. You would have to go through each topic and knowledge check in sequence. The qualifying marks for the knowledge check is 70%. You will be able to print out the course certificate with 13 CPD points after completion of the Part A course as per the CPD scheme of The Royal College of Radiologists.

Hands-on Training:

The CCT procedures are being performed at all main GSTT (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust) and KHP (King’s Health Partnership) sites. For the hands-on training, the trainees are encouraged to do so at their own hospital under the guidance of their Cardiac CT consultants. If there is a particular aspect of CCT training that is not available at your hospital (e.g., congenital or TAVI CT), please discuss with your Cardiac CT consultant supervisor, so that it can be arranged at one of the other hospitals.

About the authors:

	Mr Tarun Mittal I am a Consultant Cardiac Radiologist based at Harefield Hospital, a tertiary heart and lung hospital. I trained in cardiac imaging for 3 years before becoming a consultant in 2002. My main areas of interest are cardiac CT and MR and was instrumental in establishing and developing these services in the hospital. I am actively involved in training, teaching, and research in different aspects of these modalities.
	Dr Carole Ridge Dr Carole Ridge is an academic radiologist from Ireland. She specialises in cardiothoracic imaging and interventional radiology. She joined Royal Brompton Hospital in 2017.
	Dr Evangelos Skondras Dr Evangelos Skondras studied medicine at the University of Patras, Greece. He completed his training in radiology in 2012 at the University Hospital of Patras. In 2013, he moved to the UK for cardiothoracic imaging training at Harefield Hospital and in 2016 became a consultant cardiothoracic radiologist at Harefield Hospital.
	Andy Shah Andrew is a medical physicist and Head of Radiation Protection at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. He leads the radiation safety and protection for several hospitals and Trusts including Harefield Hospital, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and West Hertfordshire NHS Foundation Trust. He has particular interest in radiation safety with cardiac imaging procedures including cardiac CT.
	Mona Sriharan Dr Sriharan is a Consultant Radiologist based at Princess Royal University Hospital, part of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Mona Sriharan completed a Pan-London Cardiac CT Fellowship in 2011, after which, she received the Constance Thornton Research Fellowship grant to undertake a dose optimisation project in Paediatric Cardiac CT. She is a regular Cardiac CT trainer at the Imaging Village in the British Cardiovascular Society Annual Conference. She has been a Consultant Cardiothoracic Radiologist for 10 years at a busy district general hospital setting in South London. She is a Clinical Transformation Lead for her Trust and also teaches on service and quality improvement to undergraduates, London radiology registrars and reporting radiographers.
	Lucy Berry
	Dr. Alexandros Papachristidis, MD, PhD, MRCP (Lon) Dr. Alexandros Papachristidis qualified form Athens Medical School and completed a fellowship in echocardiography and a PhD course in Cardiac Imaging at King’s College London. He was appointed Consultant Cardiologist at King’s College Hospital in 2018 and has a leading role in the echocardiography department.
	Dr Saeed Mirsadraee MD, PhD, MRCS, FRCPE, FRCR Dr Mirsadraee is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Radiologist based at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals. He is the lead expert for Aortic and Valve CT in the Trust with also expertise in other areas of cardiac CT.