HEARTS Tech – ECG interpretation for Cardiology Technologists

What to expect before the course begins

You will receive the HEARTS handbook 1-week prior to the start of the course. This book will cover the fundamentals of an ECG and explain the HEARTS approach in detail.

What to expect in the course

In the first half of the workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of the HEARTS approach and understand how it can be used for physiological and pathophysiological correlation. This will include key ECG interpretation skills for cardiac techs – including identifying ECG acquisition errors, and arrhythmias including narrow/wide tachyarrythmias.

In the second half, you will practice with real, high-yield ECG cases that cardiac techs could encounter in both clinic and hospital settings. This will include cases on bradycardias/blocks and paced rhythms, and cases on primary vs secondary ST/T changes (including a variety of chronic structural and acute ischemic abnormalities).

The course is live and highly interactive, and no recording is permitted so that everyone feels comfortable participating.

Overarching goals of the course include

1. Physiologic and pathophysiologic correlates to ECG findings
2. HEARTS approach to ECG interpretation
3. Applying the HEARTS approach to high yield real clinical cases
4. Identifying machine (& physician) interpretation errors
5. Take away key clinical pearls that can be applied in the real world.

CEU Credits

Course approved by the Ontario Society of Cardiology technologists for 5.5 CEUs.