Today the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced the selection of 12 early-career interventional cardiologists to participate in the 2015-17 Emerging Leader Mentorship (ELM) Program, a collaborative program developed in 2010 by SCAI in partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). These promising young physicians will participate in an intense, hands-on, two-year mentorship program to improve and refine their skills as leaders in medicine, ambassadors for their specialty and advocates for their patients.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but patients at highest risk for adverse outcomes may not be those most likely to seek follow-up treatment after being discharged from the emergency department for chest pain, according to research published Feb. 23.

Chalk another one up to 3D modeling: In a case study, a 15-year old boy had a successful endovascular stent implantation for an aortic arch hypoplasia. Physicians guided their actions and decisions based on printed 3D models of his heart.

If you want to avoid damaging litigation, concentrate on dialogue and details. Cardiologists who fail to maintain detailed, two-way conversations with patients and thoroughly assess diagnostic data are at risk of negligence lawsuits, a study shows.

Another study found the risk prediction tool from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) and three other Framingham-based calculators significantly overestimate cardiovascular risk.

Getting patients and providers on the same page about treatment is a historically difficult prospect. Instead of outdated and lengthy paper pamphlets, an international team developed an interactive, evolving e-tool to facilitate conversation and reduce disconnects between physicians and patients. 

Google unveiled improved results for 400 commonly searched-for medical conditions, including those for “heart attack” and “stroke.”

Testing for troponin and copeptin could have promise as an indicator of suspected acute coronary syndrome in patients who are low to intermediate risk. According to researchers, patients presenting with negative copeptin values could rule out acute MI and allow for early discharge from the emergency department.