Advancements in Cardiovascular Technology That Should Be Taught

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Technologist programs of any kind today are only as good as instructor’s insight on new and upcoming procedures. New procedures that are recently introduced into the medical field should be researched and followed prior to introduction. This especially keeps cardiovascular technologist programs on the cutting edge of the best ideas for patient care and how they should be implemented.

Emerging Technologies

Company strategies and competitive dynamics usually include education of some sort to cardiovascular technologist programs already in existence. This will insure excellent marketing and bolstered rapport with medical professionals who are more confident using materials that they have been educated. Most marketing representatives will see an advantageous route through technical colleges, junior colleges, community colleges and other training facilities that are graduating individuals who will be using their new products. It is to the company’s benefit to keep new students abreast of any and all new arrivals.

Clinical Trials

Statistics are available via company researchers that will give some insight on outcomes and results of clinical trials. These new products can be studied, along with true outcomes, failures, successes, infection rates, and time studies from 2, 4, and 6 months completion dates. Before adopting some new technologies, many surgeons aspire to educate themselves on all possible outcomes, so there are no surprises when using new products.

Regulatory Data and Legal Perspectives

With technology growing by leaps and bounds, all the paperwork has to be finished and often paperwork accompanies new technological devices. Tracking is imperative and should definitely be addressed in these teaching venues. It will do no good to teach students how to use the device, if they are not instructed about paperwork, patient education, and regulatory procedures that are in place for legal liability concerns as well as patient safety issues.

Technology Updates

There are companies who are willing to provide instructors of cardiovascular technologist programs with updated information of all new products available on the market. Instructors, even if not approached for updated material, should show responsibility here for the advancement of their programs. These new updates should be grafted into the program’s curriculum in a way that doesn’t depreciate the original teaching structure, but instead enhances the wealth of information already available.

Some aspects that may have constant new devices and techniques applied in technology sectors covered include:

•Stents: bare-metal, drug-eluting and developments in resorbable stenting
•Carotid stenting
•Non-coronary stenting
•Valve repair and percutaneous valve technology
•Electrophysiology and other ablation techniques to treat atrial fibrillation and flutter
•Embolic protection
•Pacemakers
•External and implantable defibrillators
•Assistive pumps and artificial hearts
•Device technologies addressing stroke
•Advanced imaging
•Tissue and stem cell therapies

Educational Facilities

In the past, cardiovascular technology was performed in an operating room with instruments and “open” supplies on standby. Today, with modern technology, entirely new operating rooms specially designed to accommodate this intrinsic specialty have become state of the art facilities for interventional procedures. While staying in the know about new procedures, there should also be a clinical setting available to cardiovascular technology students who will continue in this specialty, so they can become familiar with the environment when stepping into the job market.