The ISHLT Academy: Core Competencies in Mechanical Circulatory Support will provide a concise review of clinical knowledge and essential professional skills to facilitate the surgical and medical management of patients with advanced heart failure who are being assessed for and who have received durable mechanical circulatory support. The course consists of focused presentations covering a broad array of topics for both inpatient and outpatient management with an emphasis on a practical approach to patient care, implementing best practices, and clinical problem solving. All lectures will be delivered by internationally recognized experts in the field and include cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, critical care physicians, and VAD coordinators.

Audience participation and interaction with the faculty will be actively encouraged throughout the Academy with Question and Answer sessions following each major topic and by limiting the enrollment to 200 participants. While all members are invited to enroll, this course is primarily designed to be of benefit for clinicians and allied professionals who are in the early stages of their careers or who are in training, are part of a new program, or desire an update on the current state of the field.

The educational workforce of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Council of the ISHLT is confident this will be the most comprehensive and valuable summary for practitioners in the field of mechanical circulatory support.


ISHLT CORE COMPETENCIES -
MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this meeting, participants will have improved competence and professional performance in their ability to:

1. Recognize the various types of mechanical circulatory support, their outcomes and rates of adverse events.
2. Identify the clinical signs and risk factors of advanced heart failure in order to optimally time implantation.
3. Recognize the medical and social factors which impact patient outcomes on MCS.
4. Optimize implantation techniques and pump selection.
5. Manage patients after MCS in the intensive care unit, as an inpatient, and as an outpatient.
6. Diagnose and manage common clinical dilemmas and adverse events in patients after MCS.