| Quinones
ET AL., ACC/AHA CLINICAL COMPETENCE STATEMENT ON ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
J Am Coll Cardiol 2003;41:687-708
ACC/AHA
Clinical Competence Statement on Echocardiography
A
Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart
Association/American College of Physicians–American Society
of Internal Medicine Task Force on Clinical Competence
Developed
in Collaboration with the American Society of Echocardiography,
the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the Society
of Pediatric Echocardiography
Preamble
The granting of clinical staff privileges to physicians is
a primary mechanism used by institutions to uphold the quality
of care. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care
Organizations requires that the granting of continuing medical
staff privileges be based on assessments of applicants against
professional criteria specified in the medical staff bylaws.
Physicians themselves are thus charged with identifying the
criteria that constitute professional competence and with
evaluating their peers accordingly. Yet, the process of evaluating
physicians' knowledge and competence is often constrained
by the evaluator's own knowledge and ability to elicit the
appropriate information, problems compounded by the growing
number of highly specialized procedures for which privileges
are requested.
The
American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/American
College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine
(ACC/AHA/ACP-ASIM) Task Force on Clinical Competence was formed
in 1998 to develop recommendations for attaining and maintaining
the cognitive and technical skills necessary for the competent
performance of a specific cardiovascular service, procedure,
or technology. These documents are evidence-based, and when
evidence is not available, expert opinion is utilized to formulate
recommendations. Indications and contraindications for specific
services or procedures are not included in the scope of these
documents. Recommendations are intended to assist those who
must judge the competence of cardiovascular health care providers
entering practice for the first time and/or those who are
in practice and undergo periodic review of their practice
expertise. The assessment of competence is complex and multidimensional;
therefore, isolated recommendations contained herein may not
necessarily be sufficient or appropriate for the judging of
overall competence.
The
ACC/AHA/ACP-ASIM Task Force makes every effort to avoid any
actual or potential conflicts of interest that might arise
as a result of an outside relationship or personal interest
of a member of the ACC/AHA Writing Committee. Specifically,
all members of the Writing Committee are asked to provide
disclosure statements of all such relationships that might
be perceived as real or potential conflicts of interest. These
changes are reviewed by the Writing Committee and updated
as changes occur.
Mark
A. Creager, MD, FACC, Chair, ACC/AHA/ACP-ASIM
Task Force on Clinical Competence |
