Thomas Maddox, MD: Impact of COVID-19 on the American College of Cardiology

At this point in the outbreak, the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on major medical organizations is obvious.

Despite rocking the medical community, these same organizations have led the charge in educating and aiding clinicians in the wake of the outbreak. From releasing new guidance to providing insights and perspectives on new data, nearly every organization has been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

In an effort to provide the latest and most accurate information to its members and other cardiologists or clinicians throughout the world, the College created the “COVID-19 Hub” on their website. Containing clinical guidance, front line perspectives, highlighted journal articles, and more, the ACC’s Science and Quality Committee created the Hub as a comprehensive aggregate highlighting key information surrounding the ongoing outbreak.

In addition to creating a central landing page for clinicians seeking data related to COVID-19, the organization was also forced to take its annual meeting virtual. Originally scheduled to be held in Chicago, the ACC managed to publish thousands of abstracts, including video presentations of late-breaking data, in a format that was free for participants.

For a better understanding on how the ongoing outbreak has impacted the ACC, HCPLive® sat down with Thomas Maddox, MD, professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and chair of the American College of Cardiology.