Landmark Trials
Dear Fellow in Training,
As a result of feedback from the FIT Survey, the Fellows in Training
Committee has recently completed a project to find or assemble a database
of landmark clinical trials in the field of cardiology. The goal of this
project is to inform cardiology fellows of the most effective way to
learn about these trials.
The FIT Committee suggests using the already existing database of clinical
trials on the Cardiosource website. There are hundreds of trials on the
site that can be accessed by acronym, year of publication, disease state,
therapy, or topic / subspecialty, which makes it very easy to access
the landmark trials that are pertinent to the subspecialty that a fellow
might be rotating through. Some of these trials have been labeled as "landmark"
by Dr. C. Michael Gibson, an experienced trialist in Boston and the editor
of the trials database. He has subjectively designated certain trials
with the "landmark" status based on the perceived impact a
trial has had on either clinical practice or shaping the field. He typically
does not bestow the landmark status on a trial until "a fair amount
of time has elapsed after the trial, similar to being inducted in the
Hall of Fame."
In addition, the site is updated often (some trials appear on the site
within a week of publication). The database also lists some trials that
have been presented but not yet published.
To access the clinical trials database:
1. Go to www.cardiosource.com
2. Log in with your username and password (registration is required,
but is free for fellows-in-training and all ACC members). You can register
on the website itself, but it may be necessary for some members to call
ACC support to retrieve your username and password.
3. Go to the "Guidelines and Trials" link, and then
"Clinical Trials. "
You can look up any trial, and follow the link to pull up a summary of
that trial's design and results, as well as where it was presented and
published.
Please note: trials can be downloaded to a palm pilot in the same format
as on the Cardiosource website for free. We hope you find this information
helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please
email the FIT Committee at: fellowsintraining@acc.org.
Sincerely,
Fellows in Training Committee
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