Competency ID

Medical Knowledge

All Clinical Cardiologists

Selected Cardiologists Based on Practice Focus

L-TEST-STRESS-MK1

Know the indications for, risks and limitations of, and contraindications to exercise stress testing for diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with known or suspected ischemic heart disease.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK2

Know the principles of exercise stress testing and the common exercise test protocols and targets.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK3

Know the concept of metabolic equivalent (MET) and estimation of intensity for various modes of exercise.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK4

Know the ECG criteria indicative of an ischemic stress test response.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK5

Know the normal and abnormal heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure responses to graded exercise and recovery.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK6

Know the influence of baseline ECG abnormalities and medications on the ECG response to exercise.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK7

Know the exercise capacity, ECG and hemodynamic findings indicating a strongly positive test or adverse prognosis.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK8

Know the indications and criteria for stopping a test before the target heart rate is reached.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK9

Know the role of exercise testing in the evaluation of patients with cardiac arrhythmias and the significance of exercise-induced arrhythmias.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK10

Know the use of exercise testing in special groups (e.g., women, asymptomatic patients, and patients who have sustained myocardial infarction or a recent acute coronary syndrome).

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK11

Know the use of, precautions for, and contraindications to exercise testing in patients with valvular and myocardial diseases.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK12

Know the role of exercise ECG testing in the evaluation of genetic cardiovascular conditions (e.g., long QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK13

Know the indications for incorporating echocardiographic, radionuclide perfusion, and magnetic resonance imaging in stress testing.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK14

Know the indications for selection of exercise versus pharmacologic testing.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK15

Know the indications for cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK16

Know the roles of exercise testing in physical activity counseling and exercise prescription in patients with cardiovascular disease.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-MK17

Know the role of exercise testing with measurement of ankle-brachial indices in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected peripheral artery disease.

X

Patient Care and Procedural Skills

All

Practice Focused

L-TEST-STRESS-PC1

Skills to select appropriate exercise test modalities and protocols for diverse patient types and clinical settings and itegrate the findings in patient evaluation and management.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-PC2

Skill to safely perform appropriate heart–rate-limited and maximal or near-maximal treadmill exercise tests.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-PC3

Skill to integrate exertional symptoms and capacity, ECG findings, and hemodynamic response in cardiovascular risk assessment and management.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-PC4

Skill to utilize data from exercise testing in developing an exercise prescription for patients with cardiovascular disease.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-PC5

Skill to identify and effectively treat complications arising during and after stress testing.

X

L-TEST-STRESS-PC6

Skill to integrate exercise test findings with segmental limb blood pressure measurements and pulse volume recordings in patients with known or suspected peripheral artery disease.

X