Program/Abstract #110 will be presented as scheduled, but the abstract cannot be published due to lack of license agreement between authors and publisher.

Background Since it was anticipated that the need for doctors would increase due to demographic changes, the number of positions for medical specialty training programs has increased from the year 2000 onwards. However, the number of permanent positions for young cardiologists did not follow that trend leading to concerns about future employment. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess short-term career perspectives of young cardiologists in the Netherlands. Methods All cardiologists who ended their training between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2014 were invited to fill in a questionnaire about their first employment status and were followed yearly until the participant had a permanent position. The timespan between the end of training and the moment of permanent employment was assessed. Furthermore, the association between professional profile and short-term career perspectives was investigated. Results The observed unemployment was 1.6% and lasted less than a year in all cases. Of the participants, 77% started their career with a temporary contract; within four years this was 7%. Of young cardiologists, 46% started their career as a fellow and 24% as an attending physician. A total of 29% of male cardiologists started their career with a permanent contract as compared with 12% of females (p = 0.01). Within two years this difference was no longer observed. Conclusions Unemployment is low among young cardiologists. Most cardiologists start their career with a temporary contract. The time to a permanent contract is slightly longer for female cardiologists as compared with males

A randomised comparison of the effect of haemodynamic monitoring with CardioMEMS in addition to standard care on quality of life and hospitalisations in patients with chronic heart failure: Design and rationale of the MONITOR HF multicentre randomised clinical trial

Background: Assessing haemodynamic congestion based on filling pressures instead of clinical congestion can be a way to further improve quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcome by intervening before symptoms or weight gain occur in heart failure (HF) patients. The clinical efficacy of remote monitoring of pulmonary artery (PA) pressures (CardioMEMS; Abbott Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA) has been demonstrated in the USA. Currently, the PA sensor is not reimbursed in the European Union as its benefit when applied in addition to standard HF care is unknown in Western European countries, including the Netherlands. Aims: To demonstrate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of haemodynamic PA monitoring in addition to contemporary standard HF care in a high-quality Western European health care system. Methods: The current study is a prospective, multi-centre, randomised clinical trial in 340 patients with chronic HF (New York Heart Association functional class III) randomised to HF care including remote monitoring with the CardioMEMS PA sensor or standard HF care alone. Eligible patients have at least one hospitalisation for HF in 12 months before enrolment and will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio. Minimum follow-up will be 1 year. The primary endpoint is the change in QoL as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ). Secondary endpoints are the number of HF hospital admissions and changes in health status assessed by EQ-5D-5L questionnaire including healt