Mentice strengthens cardiology education in Germany through partnership
Mentice has entered into a strategic partnership with the German Society of Cardiology (DGK) and its interventional cardiology working group, AGIK, which focuses on catheter-based treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the partnership is to raise the standard of training for cardiologists and improve patient care in Germany by offering advanced training modules based on Mentice’s simulation solutions.
Mentice focuses on the development and marketing of simulation solutions for Image-Guided Interventional Therapies (IGIT).
The company has recently initiated a collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology (AGIK) within the German Society of Cardiology (DGK), the oldest and largest cardiology association in Europe with over 12,000 members. The partnership aims to hone the skills of healthcare professionals in interventional cardiology – a field that diagnoses and treats cardiovascular diseases with catheters, which is a part of Mentice’s speciality area.
Cooperation with AGIK
Within the framework of the partnership, AGIK will arrange workshops and courses where Mentice will provide customized training modules. The goal is to provide new cardiologists with comprehensive, up-to-date and standardized training with hands-on exercises that prepare them to perform complex procedures with high precision and reliability. This, in turn, is expected to lead to improved care for patients in Germany with cardiovascular diseases.
Professor. Dr. Alexander Ghanem from AGIK comments on the partnership:
“We are excited to partner with Mentice to elevate the standard of interventional cardiology training in Germany. This collaboration will allow us to combine our strengths and offer a comprehensive training solution that prepares cardiologists for the challenges of modern medical practice.”
Wants to raise the bar on education and care
The partnership begins with a pilot phase in 2024, where a series of training sessions will be held. The long-term goal is to raise the standard in interventional cardiology in Germany.
Mentice’s CEO, Göran Malmberg, emphasizes that the collaboration aims to provide the next generation of interventional cardiologists with the best possible conditions for success, which will ultimately benefit patients across Germany.
The collaboration also marks a significant step forward in Mentice’s vision to improve medical education and clinical outcomes using the company’s simulation solutions. The partnership has the potential to create ripples in the water and inspire more collaborations between educational institutions, companies and healthcare in other medical fields.
Mentice’s CEO comments on the collaboration
BioStock contacted Mentice CEO Göran Malmberg to learn more about the partnership and its potential.
First of all, what made this collaboration possible?
– We have a long-standing relationship with key physicians driving training and education in the society. That, paired with the desire to further adapt the simulation solutions to address bespoke training objectives, has finally led to this strategic partnership.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in interventional cardiology training today, and how can Mentice’s simulation solutions improve training?
– Rising to excellence in interventional cardiology is a lengthy process, with the traditional path going through observation, then doing a large number of angiographies (diagnostic procedures), before eventually arriving at the actual interventions (treatments). That process can be significantly shortened by providing a safe, patient-free environment to ride out the steep initial skills curve. Pair that with the safe ability to master rare complications, and you can get to relevant competence, safer and faster.
What specific training modules and simulation solutions will be introduced through the partnership?
– We are starting off with Basics in interventional cardiology (angiographies and interventions), but will pivot very quickly to more advanced scenarios, including STEMI, bifurcation stenting, multi-vessel disease and more. Finally, not to forget that Mentice is the education partner for most of the device companies, that are introducing their advanced technologies (in imaging, like echocardiography), physiology (like FFR, OCT and more), Structural Heart (LAAO, PFO/ASD, TAVR, tricuspid and mitral valve repair and replacement) – and we want to get to a point where these can be made available to a broader public.
Finally, what is your long-term goal with this partnership, and how do you think it can impact the healthcare industry in Germany?
– There are numerous trends in the healthcare industry, from demographics – to cost – to outcomes and the ability to treat more complex diseases. Together with DGK and AGIK, we hope to positively impact patient outcomes by enhancing physicians’ and healthcare practitioners’ expertise and preparedness through ongoing certification and maintenance of skills in a consistent and safe manner.
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