The Ali Massumi Cardiac Arrhythmia Symposium

Needs Statement

Cardiac arrhythmia management is a rapidly advancing field, with innovations in device technology, pharmacologic therapy, and interventional strategies transforming care. However, significant professional practice gaps remain among clinicians, including limited knowledge of emerging therapies, insufficient competence in device selection and programming, and inconsistent adherence to evidence-based guidelines. These gaps contribute to underutilization of advanced interventions, delayed referrals for specialized care, and suboptimal patient outcomes. The Ali Massumi Cardiac Arrhythmia Symposium is designed to close these gaps by delivering a comprehensive, guideline-driven educational experience aligned with current ACC/AHA/HRS recommendations. The program will address critical educational needs such as conduction system pacing, leadless pacing, subcutaneous and extravascular ICDs, antiarrhythmic drug therapy, left atrial appendage occlusion, new atrial fibrillation treatment modalities, and cardiac contractility modulation. Through expert-led lectures, interactive case discussions, and practical demonstrations, participants will gain the ability to apply evidence-based strategies for complex arrhythmia management, select and implement advanced device therapies tailored to individual patient profiles, and incorporate procedural skills for innovative interventions into clinical practice. Additionally, the symposium will emphasize risk stratification and referral pathways to ensure timely access to specialized care for high-risk patients. By focusing on measurable changes in knowledge, competence, and performance, this activity aims to equip electrophysiologists, cardiologists, internists, and associated professionals with the tools to improve patient safety, reduce arrhythmia related morbidity and mortality, and enhance adherence to best-practice standards. Ultimately, the symposium will translate cutting-edge science into actionable clinical strategies that optimize outcomes for patients with arrhythmias.

Educational Objectives

At the conclusion of the conference, participants should be able to:

• Implement best practices for managing atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and other complex arrhythmias, including the appropriate use of antiarrhythmic drugs and new treatment modalities based on clinical trial data. 
• Evaluate and select appropriate device therapies, such as conduction system pacing (CSP), leadless pacing, and subcutaneous ICDs, tailored to individual patient profiles, and apply programming and management techniques to improve outcomes.
• Recognize and stratify patients most likely to benefit from advanced therapies, including left atrial appendage occlusion for stroke prevention and cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) for heart failure, and integrate these options into treatment plans.
• Perform or coordinate new procedural techniques and device implantation strategies, interpret complex arrhythmia data, and apply these skills to enhance clinical decision-making and adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

Target Audience

Competencies

• Interprofessional Communication
• Medical Knowledge
• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
• Quality Improvement
• Roles/Responsibilities
• Teams and Teamwork
• Work in Interdisciplinary Teams

Disclosure Policy

Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. BCM is committed to sponsoring CE activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, BCM has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (i.e., directors, planning committee members, faculty) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships at the time of the activity or within 24 months prior.

In addition, BCM has requested activity faculty/presenters to disclose to participants any unlabeled use or investigational use of pharmaceutical/device products; to use scientific or generic names (not trade names) in referring to products; and, if necessary to use a trade name, to use the names of similar products or those within a class. Faculty/presenters have also been requested to adhere to the ACCME's validation of clinical content statements.

BCM does not view the existence of financial relationships with commercial interests as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to participants to determine whether the relationships influence the activity faculty with regard to exposition or conclusions. If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial/promotional bias, notify the Activity Director or Activity Coordinator. Please answer the questions about balance and objectivity in the activity evaluation candidly.

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.