IAEA Noninvasive Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS 4)

Participate in the IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS)

INCAPS 1, initiated by the IAEA in 2012, is an observational, cross-sectional study of worldwide nuclear cardiology practice, focused on protocols, technology, best practices, and doses used in nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Participating laboratories entered MPI data retrospectively. 308 laboratories in 65 countries contributed data, including a total of 7 911 patients.

The IAEA is conducting the fourth INCAPS study, which is the follow-up to INCAPS 1, 10 years later. Like INCAPS 1, it will be a cross-sectional, observational registry. With the growth of cardiac CT worldwide, the focus has been expanded to include both cardiac CT and MPI.

Our goal is to study coronary heart disease imaging practice across the globe, better understand variations, including use of protocols, technology, best practices, and doses, and identify potential targets for improvement and future interventions.

Participating sites will have the opportunity to contribute data on their laboratory practices in CT and MPI. Data from all patients imaged over a one-week period should be submitted, with the possibility to choose one of the weeks below:

• 15 to 21 October
• 22 to 28 October
• 29 October to 4 November
• 5 to 11 November
• 12 to 18 November
• 19 to 25 November
• 26 November to 2 December
• 3 to 9 December
• 10 to 16 December

We anticipate that data collection will take approximately one hour to complete in total, for most laboratories. The form can be completed by a physician, radiographer/technologists, or physicists and can be completed in more than one sitting. We kindly request you complete only one survey per centre.

Benefits to participants as individuals include:

1. Participants providing usable data will receive a Certificate of Participation from the IAEA, suitable for framing.
2. As in INCAPS 1, participants providing data for INCAPS 4 will be included among the INCAPS 4 Investigators Group for co-authorship on papers, insofar as allowed by journal policy.  The INCAPS 1 Investigators Group have been co-authors of 12 papers, which they include on their curricula vitae.  The INCAPS COVID 1 Investigators Group members have been co-authors on an additional 7 papers, and the INCAPS COVID 2 Investigators Group members on the JACC paper, with more papers recently submitted. Each of these 20 papers includes the related INCAPS Investigators Group in the authorship list, and typically in an appendix, as well as in PubMed when allowed by the journal; and lists each member of the INCAPS Investigators Group by name.  There will be separate investigators groups for MPI and CT.
3. If more than one person contributes to data collection, as in INCAPS 1, they will be included in the INCAPS 4 Investigators Group for co-authorship on papers (maximum two co-authors per centre).
4. We anticipate that the first 500 individuals who provide complete CT data, and the first 500 who provide complete MPI data, will receive an honorarium of 100 Euros.

If you are interested, you should:

1. Have an IAEA NUCLEUS account, that can be created by accessing this link the account should be activated via emal.  NUCLEUS is the IAEA's Scientific, Technical, and Regulatory Information Resources.
2. From October 15, centres can start completing the form, for which they can choose one of the the nine weeks available (weeks beginning October 15, 22, or 29, November 5, 12, 19, or 26, or December 3 or 10). IAEA - INCAPS 4 - IRIS Survey

We encourage you to participate in INCAPS 4. Should you be interested, please send us an e-mail.