The ACC has long been credited for leading efforts to influence the practice of medicine by providing cardiovascular professionals with cutting-edge educational programs and products that help ensure patients are receiving the highest-quality, evidence-based care. In today’s environment of rapidly evolving technology and changing health care requirements, education that is purposeful and personalized and helps clinicians across the care team achieve excellence and maintain professional competency is critical.

Two new ACC educational products serve as prime examples of just how the College is expanding its portfolio of educational tools and resources to meet the evolving expectations for patient-centered care and professional education. The brand new version of ACCSAP 9, which launched in July, was rebuilt from the ground up, by cardiologists for cardiologists. “ACCSAP 9 is outstanding, effective education with meaningful options for different learnings, and is user friendly,” says Richard A. Chazal, MD, FACC, president of the ACC.

The ACCSAP 9 intuitive user dashboard is designed to help clinicians quickly identify knowledge gaps and offer personalized content. In addition, its new design allows users to choose how they want to learn, whether through reading, watching or listening. Content is also supplemented with hundreds of case-based questions generating custom quizzes and simulated board exams. Also new with this version is the ACCSAP 9 mobile app that is designed to facilitate on-the-go learning via phone or tablet, with or without an internet connection. Users can also earn up to 155 continuing medical education (CME) and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points to help meet both CME and MOC requirements.

Also launched in July, the College’s new ECG Drill & Practice tool is designed to help clinicians prepare for initial Board certification in cardiovascular disease or simply hone their ECG interpretation skills. The product provides an opportunity for users to learn about identification of ECG abnormalities, practice what they just learned using flash card technology, and challenge their ECG interpretation skills. The ECG drill and practice product incorporates the self-assessment ECG test, featuring format and answer options similar to those of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s certifying examination in cardiovascular disease.

Both of these products highlight just where the ACC is going as it continues to set the standard for cardiovascular education. Similar changes are also taking place on the live program front, as ACC leaders and staff take advantage of opportunities to make these meetings more personalized and interactive for attendees. For example, the ACC Latin America Conference and the ACC Middle East Conference taking place this October in Mexico City and Jeddah, respectively, will provide targeted, locally relevant education. Plans for ACC.17 in Washington, DC, are also underway.

“The College is confident that the learner will find these two new educational products both useful and enriching,” says Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, MACC, past president of the ACC. “They demonstrate our continued commitment to provide cutting-edge education to our members in ways that optimize the experience of learning for the purpose of improving care.”

Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications