Frequently Asked Questions

What is ECGpedia?

ECGpedia is an free online electrocardiography (ECG) course and textbook. All content is freely accessible. Anyone can contribute to the website and changes are supervised by physicians.

Who are the people behind ECGpedia?

ECGpedia is an initiative of Cardionetworks.org, a non-profit foundation whose goal is to advance medical knowledge, especially in the field of cardiology. The main contributors are: Jonas S.S.G. de Jong MD, cardiology resident, author and moderator; I.A.C. van der Bilt, MD, cardiology resident, author and moderator; Tymen T. Keller MD, PhD, cardiology resident, author and moderator; Pieter G. Postema MD, cardiology research fellow, author and moderator; Rob Kreuger, medical illustrator of most of the drawings; and Bart Duineveld, medical student, helper with technical issues, animations and lay-out.

What is the relationship between ECGpedia and Wikipedia?

There is no relationship between ECGpedia and Wikipedia. Both websites use the same software and share the idea of open access to information. The founders of ECGpedia have chosen to build a separate website, since an encyclopedia format does not allow the course- like setup of ECGpedia. It would also be difficult to incorporate information like the De Voogt archive. Furthermore, the ECGpedia license is somewhat more restricted than the Wikipedia license: reference to the source is compulsory when information from ECGpedia is used.

How can I change / add content?

ECGpedia is based on Mediawiki, the same software that is used by the Wikipedia encyclopedia. You are invited to improve this website. Simply click 'edit' to start. You will be redirected to an edit screen. Read this tutorial and this cheatsheet to learn how to improve the readability of your edits. All edits are screened by physician moderators. DO NOT SUBMIT COPYRIGHTED WORK WITHOUT PERMISSION!

If you edit a page, please provide references to the source of the information. Please only post statements that are true and correct to your knowledge. Additions that are phrased in an objective and scientific manner and that are up-to-date are valued most by the editors.

Can I use a certain image / animation / video / piece of text in a non-commercial presentation?

Yes, in most cases you can. All material that is made by or for the Cardionetworks foundation is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike license. This means you it is free to use it for non-commercial use under the condition that you credit the author and it's origin (e.g. state somewhere readable: ECG courtesy of Dr. De Voogt and ECGpedia.org if you would use one of Dr De Voogts ECGs for a presentation). We do appreciate it when you let us know that you have used content from ECGpedia, just to have an idea who our audience is.

There are certain exceptions to this rule. Some images on ECGpedia were provided by book or journal publishers who gave us permission to use that image on this site. The descriptions of these images will read something like: "reproduced with permission from...". If you want to use such items, you will have to ask the entity that holds the copyright.

Can I use a certain image / animation / video / piece of text in a commercial presentation?

In general yes, but not without asking. In general we will not object your using any of our material as long as you do not copy-paste the whole website on a CD and sell it for money :-)... Please e-mail us for permission.

How can I use a flash movie from your site in my powerpoint presentation?

Read this document by Adobe to learn how.

When do I know enough to say that I can confidently interpret ECGs?

Of course, there is no definite answer to this question. However, the American College of Cardiology has published a list of abnormalities a professional should be able to recognize. It is advisable to go through this list at the end of the course in order to recognize areas that need your attention. Understanding every item on the list does not guarantee that you will make the right decisions in every clinical situation.

My own ECG shows an abnormality what should I do?

The information on this site should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. For questions like these we advise you to contact your physician.

Can I trust the information on your site?

Please read our disclaimers.

Do you protect the privacy of the patients whose ECGs / images / cases are presented?

All material on this site is checked so any information that could breech a patients privacy is removed as soon as possible, in accordance to applicable Dutch laws.

Please realize that when you post comments on the discussion pages or edit a page it will be readable to everyone.

What is the financial source of this project?

The Cardionetworks.org foundation is a non-profit charity foundation. The content of all websites maintained by the Cardionetworks foundation is not influenced by sponsors. Current benefactors are summed on the Foundations website. Feel free to contact the foundation if you would like to sponsor or have sponsorship suggestions. We do not allow any advertisements on our sites. We also do not allow sponsors to influence any contents.

Any form of advertisement introduced by user edits (links, banners, content, etc.) is not permitted.

How can I contact you?

Please contact the secretary of Cardionetworks for any further questions.

How can I contribute content to ECGpedia?

• ECGpedia is an open access wiki ECG course. Everybody can contribute to this site by creating a user account and loging in. Please e-mail or fax (+31-84-755-0017) us if you have an interesting ECG. All contributors who are known to us, will be added to the authors page.
• Read this information on how to edit a page on ECGpedia.
• Contact us if you would like more information about contributing to ECGpedia
• Contact us for information about contributing financially to Cardionetworks

We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the Health On the Net Foundation.