Electrocardiography interpretation training in emergency medicine: methods, resources, competency assessment, and national standardization

Objective(s). The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of electrocardiography (ECG) training in emergency medicine residency programs in Turkey, and the attitude of the program representatives towards standardization of such training. Methods. This investigation was planned as a cross-sectional study. An 18-item questionnaire was distributed to directors of residency programs. Responses were evaluated using SPSS (v.16.0), and analyzed using the chi-square test. Results. Thirty-nine program directors (out of 42) responded to the questionnaire. Twenty-eight of them stated they did not have a formal ECG training curriculum. The most preferred ECG education method was clinical education in the Emergency Department; the most common education resource was ECG textbooks; and the most common evaluation method was case scenarios. Only thirteen of the programs had an obligation to prove competency. The most common competency-assessment method was obtaining a passing grade based on an instructor’s observation. The majority of program directors are of the opinion that there should be a formal ECG teaching curriculum, and that a national ECG training program and national ECG database should be formed. Conclusions. The majority of programs do not have a formal ECG interpretation curriculum, which is an obligation to prove competency. As a result, their training methods, resources, and assessment tools were determined to be subjective