title: Cardiovascular imaging practice in Europe: a report from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging.
abstract: The need for cardiovascular imaging (CVI) is expected to increase over the coming years due to the changes in CV disease epidemiology and ageing of the population. However, reliable statistics on CVI practice in Europe are lacking. Establishing the current status of the use of CVI across Europe has become the first comprehensive project of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the European Society of Cardiology Taskforce on CVI. In 2013, a survey with relevant information regarding CVI was sent to all National Imaging/Echocardiography Societies and Working Groups. Representatives from 41 countries returned the questionnaire. The present report provides key results of the survey, relating to existing education, training, certification and national accreditation programmes, healthcare organizations, and reimbursement systems.
authors.affiliation: Imaging Cardiology, University of Liège Hospital, GIGA Cardiovascular Science, Heart Valve Clinic, Liege, Belgium GVM Care and Research, E.S. Health Science Foundation, Lugo, Ravenna, Italy Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Sart Tilman, B 4000 Liege, Belgium plancellotti@chu.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lancellotti
authors.affiliation: Pomeranian Medical University, Cardiology Clinic, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Płońska-Gościniak
authors.affiliation: King's Health Partners, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Madalina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garbi
authors.affiliation: NIHR Bristol Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bucciarelli-ducci
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Universtair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Centrum Voor Hart-en Vaatziekten, Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cosyns
authors.affiliation: Hospital da Luz-Echocardiography laboratory-Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardim
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galderisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Edvardsen
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Department and CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neglia
authors.affiliation: Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Centre and the Division of Cardiovascular and Diabetes Research, University of Leeds, Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plein
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Sismanoglio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitsiou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, Echocardiography Laboratory, General Hospital of Nikea, Piraeus, Greece.
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stefanidis
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Second Department of Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Pharmacy 'Carol Davila'-Euroecolab, 'Prof. Dr C. C. Iliescu' Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Bogdan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, La Timone Hospital, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Habib
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D057791:Cardiac Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002309:Cardiology / Q000193:education; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012955:Societies, Medical
keywords: accreditation; cardiovascular imaging; certification; survey; training