Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) and Hamad Medical Corp (HMC) Heart Hospital teamed up to deliver a practical course on the effective use of the electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose a variety of cardiovascular diseases.

The one-day course aimed at physicians, nurses, students and other healthcare professionals, explained the basics of ECG use in clinical practice through lectures, before the participants discussed clinical cases in small groups in order to understand how to apply the theory to practical situations. The participants learned how to identify changes in ECG readings and how to interpret the said changes to identify dysfunctions such as atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and electrolyte abnormalities.

The course, titled ‘ECG in Clinical Practice,’ was directed by Dr Mohamed Elshalzly, assistant professor of Medicine at WCM-Q, and Dr Sajad Hayat, consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist at HMC Heart Hospital. Other expert speakers at the event were Dr Nidal Ahmad Asaad, Dr Nora AlJefairi, Dr Shahul Hameed Ahammed Khan, Safia Bibi Sayyed GulKarim, Dr Mohamed Mohsen, Dr Islam Elgendy and Samira Nasrallah.

Dr Elshazly said, “The ECG is a powerful diagnostic tool that provides great benefits to healthcare professionals and patients in the identification of many forms of cardiovascular disease. I have no doubt that the knock-on benefits to patients from this course will be very positive and very significant.”

The course was co-ordinated by the Division of Continuing Professional Development at WCM-Q and was accredited locally by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions – Accreditation Section and internationally by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.