Imaging plays an integral role in all aspects of managing heart disease and cardiac imaging is a core competency of cardiologists. The adequate delivery of cardiac imaging services requires expertise in both imaging methodology-with specific adaptations to imaging of the heart-as well as intricate knowledge of heart disease. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging have developed and implemented a successful education and certification programme for all cardiac imaging modalities. This programme equips cardiologists to provide high quality competency-based cardiac imaging services ensuring they are adequately trained and competent in the entire process of cardiac imaging, from the clinical indication via selecting the best imaging test to answer the clinical question, to image acquisition, analysis, interpretation, storage, repository, and results dissemination. This statement emphasizes the need for competency-based cardiac imaging delivery which is key to optimal, effective and efficient, patient care.
Keywords: Cardiac computed tomography; Cardiovascular magnetic resonance; Competency-based cardiac imaging; Echocardiography; Nuclear cardiology.
This article has been co-published with permission in the European Heart Journal, European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging, and European Heart Journal – Imaging Methods and Practice. © 2023 the European Society of Cardiology The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal's style. Either citation can be used when citing this article.