Last month we spoke of an on-going revolution in the way we approach continuing medical education in cardiology in Europe, which for me is nothing less than a movement towards a new “world view” underlining interactions on many levels, among all the different players in our field. While it is true that today we have a large array of techniques at our disposal, and have access to a vast amount of knowledge and clinical experience, we are still missing –or we were missing– the glue, the foundation… the centre of gravity that could hold it all together.
Imagine a solar system where the planets are composed of, first and foremost, EAPCI and EuroPCR, then PCR London Valve, AsiaPCR, GulfPCR, PCR Focus Group, PCR seminars, EuroIntervention and PCR Publishing… and add to that the constant interaction of PCRonline. Then imagine, in the very centre of this interventionalist solar system, a new element that can tie all these related, yet disparate sources of information, together. This new centre of gravity is the PCR-EAPCI Percutaneous Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook, making use of all the educational conduits that we have developed and containing –in an interactive and self-renewing fashion– all the learning, all the information, all the “interchanges” that take place during the year.
This new centre of gravity is the fruit of the collaboration among many individuals, as well as our association, the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and the PCR Family, and for all of us involved in this work – and all those dedicated to the advancement and practice of our speciality – this is truly, “The year of the Textbook”.
What makes this textbook so different?
This book was never meant to be the kind of old-fashioned textbook that you would read a couple of times and then abandon to gather dust on your bookshelf. Fully reflecting the combined and constantly growing experience and resources of the entire PCR Family, the PCR-EAPCI Percutaneous Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook has been conceived to be, above all, useful for ourselves as well for our colleagues, including those working on the ESC eLearning platform that we discussed last month, and in which our textbook will play a central role. It is designed –from the very beginning– to be “alive”, to feed off the latest developments in the field, taking advantage of all the electronic mediums at our disposal, as well as the vast resources and experience of the Internet where this textbook will be seen to evolve constantly.
This textbook is targeted at a wide audience of readers concerning both their specific interests and their level of training or experience. It has been designed to be useful not only to fellows and senior interventional cardiologists, but to clinical cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and interventional radiologists as well. Readers will find that they can turn to this textbook for an overview of a particular subject or as a source for constantly updated information on techniques. One of the book’s great values is that it offers you the ability to search for these global updates and overviews in interventional cardiology, as well as very precise information on a specific procedure or innovative device.
The range of subjects treated is vast, each authored by an international expert in their field. Within the pages of the textbook or in one of its electronic forms, you will find, for example, state-of-the-art information on the strategy of coronary artery disease in particular clinical situations (STEMI, ACS, etc.) and in particular anatomy subsets (left main, bifurcations, etc.). There are chapters on structural heart disease and peripheral disease, as well as others on the latest advances in functional and imaging technologies. The list is finite, but not definitive as the textbook is designed to let this list grow as our speciality evolves.
The role of EAPCI, our desires to serve the needs of all our membership, is reflected in the textbook as both a source of knowledge and as the basis for self-assessment for the individual practitioner. The textbook does this by increasing not only the close ties between the PCR family and EAPCI, but among us all and the ESC. Building strength upon strength, the PCR-EAPCI Percutaneous Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook is a vital part of the “win-win” relationship we are installing across the profession. In a very concrete way, this book proves that “Together we achieve more” is not just a few idle words.
It is not simply about knowledge, but the means in which that knowledge is accessed and presented
Our experience with the latest technologies, along with the expertise of PCRonline, ensures that these latest developments will be echoed here in this constantly evolving work, helping us reach the objective of –and providing a resource for– an educational tool enabling individuals to approach knowledge acquisition as they see fit.
This year in Europe it is truly the Year of Education, and the PCR-EAPCI Percutaneous Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook is destined to be an integral part of both our European experience in general and our professional lives in particular. This textbook, and all it represents, will form the foundation for our continuing medical education for years to come, and will play a central role in the structure of our profession and while it will be at the centre of our work, it is only another step in our mission. This textbook will be judged as good or useful only if it responds well to your needs as individuals and groups, and that is why it is an important step for our Association to be at the heart of this project. The PCR-EAPCI Percutaneous Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook is thus now the new centre of gravity, the foundation, from which the PCR Family and the EAPCI can continue to innovate, continue to build new models of education and training in interventional medicine, and thus allow us all to offer the best standard of care to our patients. This is, indeed, a first major step towards a new concept of Percutaneous Interventional Medicine.
