American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release May 12, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Irfan Asif, MD, was awarded the Harry Galanty Young Investigators Award for excellence in sports medicine research at the 20th Annual Meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, from April 30-May 4, 2011.


Dr. Asif’s study, “Accuracy of Electrocardiogram (ECG) Interpretation in Competitive Athletes” showed that a simple criteria tool was able to greatly improve the accuracy of physician’s ability to properly evaluate electrocardiograms in athletes.


Sixty physicians (22 primary care residents, 16 primary care attendings, 12 sports medicine physicians, and 10 cardiologists) evaluated 40 ECGs. There were 28 normal ECGs from Division I athletes, and 12 abnormal ECGs from individuals with known cardiovascular pathology. The physicians were asked to classify each as either “normal or variant with no follow-up needed” or “abnormal with further evaluation or testing needed.”


At baseline ECGs were correctly interpreted by 73% of the residents, and attendings, by 78% of the sports medicine physicians and by 85% of the cardiologists. They were then given an ECG criteria tool and on the next evaluation all groups showed a significant increase in their ability to correctly classify the ECGs. With the tool, residents identified 92%, attendings 90%, sports physicians 91% and cardiologists 96%. The overall sensitivity (normal ECGs correctly classified) improved from 71% to 91% and the specificity (abnormal ECGs correctly classified) from 89% to 94% with the use of the tool.


Co-authors of the research are Jonathan Drezner, MD, Robyn Fean, MD, Kimberly Harmon, MD, David Owens, MD, Jordan Prutkin, MD, Ashwin Rao, MD, Jack Salerno, MD and Karen Stout, MD all from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.


The Harry L. Galanty, MD Young Investigator's Award is presented at the AMSSM Annual Meeting for the most outstanding research presentation by a member who is a sports medicine fellow or who has recently completed fellowship training. The award was established in 2003 to honor Harry Galanty, MD, a charter member of the AMSSM, who passed away in 1999 at the age 36. Dr. Galanty’s contributions to sports medicine combined clinical service, and a commitment to teaching and research.


Dr. Asif is completing a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at the University of Washington. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, then completed a Family Medicine Residency at the University of Washington. Dr. Asif has previously received the AMSSM National Resident Scholarship Award and the 2010 AMSSM Best Research Award.


The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) is a multi-disciplinary organization of physicians whose members are dedicated to education, research, collaboration and fellowship within the field of Sports Medicine. Founded in 1991, the AMSSM is now comprised of over 1,800 Sports Medicine Physicians whose goal is to provide a link between the rapidly expanding core of knowledge related to sports medicine and its application to patients in a clinical setting.