John Hess1, Ulrike Bauer2, Fokko de Haan3, Julia Flesh4, Christa Gohlke-Baerwolf5, Siegfried Hagl6, Michael Hofbeck7, Harald Kaemmerer8, Hans Carlo Kallfelz9, Peter E Lange10, Hermine Nock11, Karl Robert Schirmer12, Achim A Schmaltz13, Ulrich Tebbe14, Michael Weyand15, Guenter Breithardt16. 1. German Heart Centre of the Technical University of Munich, Department of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects, Germany. Electronic address: hess@dhm.mhn.de. 2. Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects, Germany. Electronic address: ubauer@kompetenznetz-ahf.de. 3. German Society of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK), Germany. 4. German Association of Adolescents and Adults with Congenital Heart Defects (JEMAH), Germany. 5. Herz-Zentrum Bad Krozingen, Kardiologie - Kardiochirurgie - Rehabilitation, Germany. 6. Heidelberg University Clinic, Department of Heart Surgery, Germany. 7. Tübingen University Paediatric Clinic, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Germany. 8. German Heart Centre of the Technical University of Munich, Department of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects, Germany. 9. Deutsche Herzstiftung e. V., Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 10. Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects, Germany. 11. German Association of Children with Heart Disease (BVHK), Germany. 12. Association of Practicing Paediatric Cardiologists (ANKK), Germany. 13. Tübingen University Paediatric Clinic, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Germany; Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects, Germany. 14. Lippe-Detmold Clinic, Medical Clinic II - Cardiology, Germany. 15. Erlangen-Nürnberg University, Centre for Heart Surgery, Germany. 16. Medical Clinic and Policlinic C, Münster University Hospital, Germany. Electronic address: g.breithardt@uni-muenster.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The number of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients will be larger in the medium to long term than that of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease. The present structures for the medical care of ACHD patients are not sufficient and need to be improved. Therefore the Task Force aimed at developing recommendations for adult and paediatric cardiologists to acquire the additional qualification "Adults with Congenital Heart Disease" (ACDH). METHODS: The members of the interdisciplinary Task Force were selected on the basis of their special clinical, scientific and organisational expertise. The leading author submitted a draft version, which was revised by a sub-group of the interdisciplinary Task Force. It was subsequently agreed upon and re-circulated by all the members of the Task Force. The recommendations were then presented to the relevant committees of all participating associations and groups and approved following detailed discussion. RESULTS: A training programme for acquiring an additional qualification in the treatment of adults with congenital heart disease was created successfully. CONCLUSIONS: The medical care of adults with congenital heart disease is a sub-speciality in the border area between adult cardiology and paediatric cardiology. ACHD cardiologists are to be specially trained experts with appropriate knowledge and special skills and experience in the diagnosis and therapy of congenital heart disease in adults. ACHD cardiologists should be able to recognise and treat problems that occur in adulthood in connection with congenital heart disease.
BACKGROUND: The number of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients will be larger in the medium to long term than that of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease. The present structures for the medical care of ACHD patients are not sufficient and need to be improved. Therefore the Task Force aimed at developing recommendations for adult and paediatric cardiologists to acquire the additional qualification "Adults with Congenital Heart Disease" (ACDH). METHODS: The members of the interdisciplinary Task Force were selected on the basis of their special clinical, scientific and organisational expertise. The leading author submitted a draft version, which was revised by a sub-group of the interdisciplinary Task Force. It was subsequently agreed upon and re-circulated by all the members of the Task Force. The recommendations were then presented to the relevant committees of all participating associations and groups and approved following detailed discussion. RESULTS: A training programme for acquiring an additional qualification in the treatment of adults with congenital heart disease was created successfully. CONCLUSIONS: The medical care of adults with congenital heart disease is a sub-speciality in the border area between adult cardiology and paediatric cardiology. ACHD cardiologists are to be specially trained experts with appropriate knowledge and special skills and experience in the diagnosis and therapy of congenital heart disease in adults. ACHD cardiologists should be able to recognise and treat problems that occur in adulthood in connection with congenital heart disease.
Authors: Rhoia Neidenbach; Stephan Achenbach; Caroline Andonian; Ulrike M M Bauer; Peter Ewert; Sebastian Freilinger; Ulrike Gundlach; Ann-Sophie Kaemmerer; Nicole Nagdyman; Kathrin Nebel; Renate Oberhoffer; Lars Pieper; Wibke Reinhard; Linda Sanftenberg; Fabian von Scheidt; Jörg Schelling; Lavinia Seidel; Michael Weyand; Harald Kaemmerer Journal: Cardiovasc Diagn Ther Date: 2021-04
Authors: Paul C Helm; Harald Kaemmerer; Günter Breithardt; Elisabeth J Sticker; Roland Keuchen; Rhoia Neidenbach; Gerhard-Paul Diller; Oktay Tutarel; Ulrike M M Bauer Journal: Front Pediatr Date: 2017-05-19 Impact factor: 3.418