Harvard The Rhodes Course for Clinical Exercise Physiology, Testing, and Interpretation for Congenital Heart Disease 2026

The Rhodes Course focuses on how to perform and interpret cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with congenital heart disease. It connects exercise physiology with practical questions about test quality, key variables, reporting and clinical decisions. The September 25–26, 2026 program moves from fundamentals and demonstrations to case workshops involving simple congenital lesions, hemodynamic variations, cyanosis and ischemia. It is relevant to pediatric cardiology clinicians, exercise physiologists and other professionals involved in exercise testing. Named in honor of Dr. Jonathan Rhodes, the course retains its full two-day schedule below, including speakers and workshop sessions, so readers can assess the program’s emphasis.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology Across the Lifespan: Describe the basic principles of exercise physiology with an emphasis on patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).
• Acquire Skills to Conduct and Interpret Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET): Acquire the ability to set up and conduct CPET, interpret key CPET variables, and effectively report findings in patients with CHD.
• Analyze Physiological Responses in CHD Patients: Use clinical case examples to evaluate physiological impairments and determine how these impairments affect a patient’s exercise capacity and health outcomes.
• Apply CPET Data to Guide Clinical Decisions: Utilize CPET insights to inform clinical management decisions for patients with congenital heart disease.

The schedule describes the original educational event, including in-person demonstrations, hands-on workshops and social activities. Their presence in the agenda does not confirm recording coverage or include live participation, provider registration or official account access.

Program Schedule

Day 1: Friday, September 25, 2026

Day 2: Saturday, September 26, 2026