Exploring psychological skills use in interventional cardiologists

Abstract

Psychological skills are explored in a variety of high-performance contexts. In medical fields such as emergency medicine and surgery, psychological skills have been linked to better performance. However, certain medical subdisciplines, for example cardiology, have received less attention than others. For example, cardiology is a growing, interventional medical specialty that requires strenuous training and the precise execution of clinical and psychological skills under pressure. Yet, the development of psychological skills in interventional cardiologists remains underexamined, which was the purpose of the present study. Five interventional cardiologists from across Canada participated in virtual interviews averaging 39 minutes. A semi-structured interview rooted in a theoretical model developed by Spoon and colleagues (2020) was used. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a hybrid thematic analysis was applied. Generally, participants agreed with previously hypothesized psychological skills in cardiology. The results revealed five main themes which included “Interpersonal Skills”, “Self-Regulation Skills”, “Applied Skills”, “Self-Care Skills” and “Cognitive Skills”. This paper explores these themes in detail, addressing how they are important for performance in interventional cardiology. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of expanding knowledge on psychological skills in interventional cardiology to better support the unique psychological demands faced in highly stressful medical situations.