First national cardiac electrophysiology summit unites a community

The inaugural Malaysian Electrocardiography Summit 2021 (MECGS 2021) drew together experts and learners for the first national conference dedicated to cardiac electrophysiology (EP).

Held live and virtually in late October 2021, the 1-day event comprised a series of intensive courses on ECG-related topics and case discussions as prepared by experienced EP faculty from cardiology departments nationwide.

The seminars aimed to make complex, often subspecialist-level knowledge accessible and relevant to a wide range of healthcare professionals, including medical students, technicians, nurses, and general practitioners. Topics covered included pacemaker basics, complex ECG and electrogram (EGM) discussions, AF ablation tips, and device troubleshooting.

The event was organized by the Malaysian Heart Rhythm Society (MHRS) in collaboration with the National Heart Association of Malaysia (NHAM), with MHRS committee members and consultant electrophysiologists Dr Abdul Raqib Abdul Ghani of Hospital Serdang; Dr Koh Kok Wei of Subang Jaya Medical Centre, and Dr Ma Soot Keng of Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre acting as course directors.

In a welcoming address, Ma noted that MECGS 2021 was the first time a scattered community of HCPs had the opportunity to gather and share knowledge in a growing field of interest, calling it “a journey for extremely mysterious knowledge.”

“We’ve been planning [this conference] for a long time; five years ago, if we had [held this event] we would be talking to a crowd of about 10 people,” said Ma. “We’re making history now with the first true cardiac EP meeting for the country.”

Ma thanked faculty members for their efforts in organizing the course contents, as well as industry partners for their support.

Adding to Ma’s comments, Abdul Raqib said that the MHRS committee aimed to further engage more allied healthcare professionals such as cardiovascular technicians, staff nurses, and medical assistants in the upcoming MECGS 2022.

“We need to have a solid team around us, because we don’t work alone ... [the summit] is a good opportunity to see the Malaysian EP community brought together in one room,” said Abdul Raqib, who highlighted that some live participants had travelled from as far as East Malaysia to attend.

In an email interview with MIMS Doctor, Koh shared further details on the objectives, history, and future plans of the MHRS and MECGS for the local EP scene.

Why was the MECGS organized?

Koh (K): In Malaysia, there are many sub-specialties of sub-specialities in cardiology, wherein cardiac EP is a fast-growing one that mainly deals with heart rhythm issues. There was no local medical conference for our EP doctors to advance their knowledge, which means we had to travel to conferences overseas in the US, Europe, and other Asian countries to keep abreast of the advancements of this field.

In view of the growing number of our own EP doctors, we felt that it was time to organize our own conference. We hope to collaborate with [similar groups in] other countries in future.

Why have an ECG-specific webinar for local HCPs?

K: For many years, the EP doctors used the NHAM’s annual platform to showcase and update local doctors about ECG [knowledge] and heart rhythm diseases. There are also individual hospitals which host ECG courses for their doctors. We have noticed a growing interest from young physicians and medical officers in ECG as a learning topic.

To accommodate their needs, we decided to have a specific webinar about basic ECG in conjunction with our EP doctors’ conference, which is the MECGS. All the top EPs in the country participated to ensure a high-quality education on the topic.

Which sessions from MECGS 2021 would you highlight for GPs?

K: All of them! The one-day ECG course was designed such that it started from the basics and touched on all practical topics relevant to a GP's clinical practice.

What post-event options are there for those who missed MECGS 2021?

K: Those who registered could still log in and view the replay for 1 month. However for those who missed that, there will be a MECGS 2022, which will be more interesting and comprehensive compared to the previous year. So please watch out for the opening of registration for MECGS 2022, which will be announced on the NHAM website.

What event plans does the MHRS have for 2022?

K: The MHRS will host two main events: MECGS 2022 and MHRS Summit 2022.

The MECGS 2022 will focus on advanced EP discussions among EP fellows and EP doctors, involving complex ECG and cardiac electrogram tracings, as well as cardiac ablation techniques. As [per the previous year], the basic ECG course for GPs and physicians will be held virtually in conjunction with this event.

The MHRS Summit 2022 will be held at end of the year and is suitable for medical officers, physicians, cardiology fellows and general cardiologists. It involves discussions of general heart rhythm disorders, cardiology quizzes and showcases of EP procedures.

In conjunction with the MHRS Summit, we also host the MHRS Presidential Cup, which is the highlight of the whole event. I would say that it is the most anticipated event amongst our cardiology fraternities, where 16 cardiac centres in Malaysia—or maybe more this year—competing [to test their knowledge] to clench the championship cup.

MHRS also plan to expand the contents of MHRStv, which is an innovative website for continuing medical education (CME) in cardiology. For those interested to know more, please join NHAM as a member to enjoy exclusive MHRStv content for free.