Tall Rounds Goes Large: A Distinctly Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Education Program Extends Its Reach

It’s hard to find a clinician who doesn’t lament the “silo-ization” of medicine, but what can actually be done about it?

For cardiothoracic surgeon Eric E. Roselli, MD, a good place to start is to “de-silo” continuing education. That’s exactly what Dr. Roselli did when he established Cleveland Clinic Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute’s Tall Rounds® educational series a few years ago. The initiative has been such a hit within Cleveland Clinic that it’s now also being made available to healthcare providers beyond Cleveland Clinic at clevelandclinic.org/tallrounds.

What makes Tall Rounds different

Tall Rounds are one-hour teaching sessions, but rather than focusing on a clinical topic from one or two subspecialty perspectives, these sessions take a much more multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach.

The format is simple: A fellow presents a real-world patient case and relevant imaging, and four to seven experts from various medical and surgical cardiovascular subspecialties (and often other disciplines, such as genetic medicine or infectious disease) speak to the topic from their particular angles of expertise for 5 to 10 minutes each. The cases are generally complex, so much attention is paid to considerations in the decision-making process. The final 15 minutes are devoted to a wrap-up and discussion with the audience in attendance at Cleveland Clinic, which can number close to 200.

The design gives each Tall Rounds a dynamic pace that keeps learners engaged. “Each subspecialty section is just long enough to provide a focused, relevant perspective,” explains Dr. Roselli, The Stephens Family Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Surgical Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Aorta Center. “The whole always ends up being greater than the sum of its parts, especially with the lively back-and-forth during the discussion. Because so many subspecialty perspectives intersect, everyone comes away having learned something valuable.”

Now freely available to all

The response to Tall Rounds sessions among Cleveland Clinic cardiovascular caregivers — physicians, surgeons, trainees, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, technicians and others — has been so favorable that Cleveland Clinic is now making a full slate of archived Tall Rounds videos available online to external healthcare providers.

Each one-hour session can be viewed in full or by chapters. Speakers can be contacted by email for follow-up discussion, and suggestions for future topics are welcome. Access is free but requires one-time online registration at clevelandclinic.org/tallrounds. CME credit is not currently offered.

No need to go it alone

“The range of issues involved in patient management today can be mind-boggling,” says Dr. Roselli. “No single physician can deliver the best care. It takes a team with access to all options and tools. Promoting understanding of what everyone on the team can offer improves collaboration and, ultimately, patient care.

“That’s the philosophy behind Tall Rounds,” he continues. “The goal is simply to bring together clinicians from a diversity of disciplines to teach each other and stimulate learning. We invite providers everywhere to join us.”

Register for free at clevelandclinic.org/tallrounds.