Cardiology technologists are healthcare experts who are responsible for providing information required for the detection and treatment of heart diseases.
Why Cardiology Technologists Are So Essential
To start with, consider this estimate: there will be more than 47,000 employment opportunities from 2015 to 2024 becoming available for Canadian medical technicians and technologists which also include cardiology technologists. The question is, why is such a hike anticipated for health experts in this field?
It’s basic. Canada’s residents are getting older because of a steady growth in the population aged 65 and above. Likewise, innovative technologies and equipment in the field of medical call for health facilities to hire individuals who have the professional knowledge to operate them. However, when it comes particularly to cardiology technologists, probably the most convincing grounds behind the increasing demand are demonstrated in the following facts:
- Out of top three leading causes of deaths in Canada, two relate to heart disease and stroke. As a matter of fact, every seven minutes one person dies in the country from these causes.
- Nine out of 10 Canadians carry one risk, at the very least, related to stroke or heart disease.
- The Canadian economy loses practically $21 billion every year because of the cardio-related diseases.
What Cardiology Technologists Do
Cardiology technologists assist cardiologists (doctors that are heart specialists) and further healthcare experts have the diagnostic information they require to rightly treat the patients. Much of the time, that comprises of using electrocardiogram (otherwise known as ECG or EKG) machine to document patient’s heartbeat tracings within a medical clinic, hospital, or diagnostic laboratory.
However, based on the patient’s choice and situation, cardiology technologists likewise frequently play out extra duties that guide in the determination or treatment of conditions identified with the heart or blood vessels. For instance, a lot of cardio technologists:
- Conduct tests that compute a patient’s exercise tolerance
- Arrange a portable ECG device for uninterrupted recording of a patient’s heart activity
- Operate pacemakers and examine other cardiology machines to ensure they all function correctly
- Develop reports of the testing outcomes for cardiologists’ interpretation
Furthermore, a cardio tech can at times have specialization in a field of exercise tolerance testing and can be entitled as a cardiac stress technologist.
What Educational Requirements Are Needed To Become A Tech?
Any individual who wants to be a Cardiology Technologist must:
- Take a Cardiology Technologist Course (diploma program). You can see which colleges are offering this diploma on the CSCT website csct.ca or the Canadian Medical Association website https://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/official-program-list.aspx
- Clear the CSCT (Canadian Society of Cardiology Technologists) National Exam to be a Registered Cardiology Technologist
Remember that you will be open to better employment opportunities by taking a full cardiology technologist program instead of going for a basic ECG technician program. There are some cardio tech programs which are now being offered online so you can do much of the coursework from where you live.
Duties of Cardiology Technologists
Cardiology Technologists are in charge of monitoring heartbeat and performing diagnostic testing. Some of their duties consist of:
- ECG
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Exercise tolerance testing
- Tilt table testing
- Pacemaker analysis
How Much You Can Make as a Cardiology Technologist
A full-time cardio tech gets to make $52,000 as a median salary in Canada. However, with better position, experience, and place of employment, a cardio tech may earn up to $68,000 or more.
With the facts stated above and scope discussed, it is certain that cardiology technology is a rewarding profession. If you want to pursue a career in healthcare that has a fast-paced environment, then this is a profession for you.
