Simulator Training to Improve Interventional Cardiologist Skills (STARTERS) Trial

Simulator Training to Improve Interventional Cardiologist Skills (STARTERS) Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if simulator-based training will improve interventional cardiology fellows' skills and will improve patient outcomes.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does this training improve specific operative parameters recorded during initial coronary interventions performed as first operators under senior supervision?
• Will major and minor procedural complications be reduced after simulator-based training?

Interventional cardiology fellows in their first year of training will be randomized between standard master-apprentice training or simulator-based training before starting their cath lab period.

They will be supervised during their cath lab period as first operators by senior interventional cardiologists.

During their first 50 procedures performed as supervised first operator, specific procedural data will be collected.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Specializing doctors who are about to start dedicated training in the interventional cardiology room
• Patients who must undergo coronary angiography examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

Specializing doctors:

• No interest in performing interventional cardiology procedures as first supervised operator (classical training)
• Experience as first supervised operator in interventional cardiology procedures
• Absence of informed consent

Patients:

• Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Severe left ventricular dysfunction with ejection fraction less than 30%
• Severe chronic renal failure (with glomerular filtration rate less than 30 ml/min)
• Absence of informed consent