The Cardiology Audit and Registration Data Standards (CARDS), European data standards for clinical cardiology practice.
OBJECTIVE
Systematic registration of data from clinical practice is important for clinical care, local, national and international registries, and audit. Data to be collected for these different purposes should be harmonized. Therefore, during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union (EU) (January to June 2004), the Department of Health and Children worked with the European Society of Cardiology, the Irish Cardiac Society, and the European Commission to develop data standards for clinical cardiology. The Cardiology Audit and Registration Data Standards (CARDS) Project aimed to agree standards for three modules of cardiovascular health information systems: acute coronary syndromes (ACS), percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and clinical electrophysiology (pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and ablation procedures).


RESULTS
Data items from existing registries and surveys were reviewed to derive draft data standards (variables, coding, and definitions). Variables common to the three modules include demographics, risk factors, medication, and discharge and follow-up data. Modules about a procedure contain variables on the lesion, the device, and medication during the procedure. The ACS module includes presenting symptoms, reperfusion and acute treatments, and procedures in hospital and at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
The data standards were discussed and adopted at a conference involving EU member states in Cork, Ireland, in May 2004. After a pilot study, the standards will be disseminated to stakeholders throughout Europe.
Flynn
M Rachel
MR
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Barrett
Conor
C
Cosío
Francisco G
FG
Gitt
Anselm K
AK
Wallentin
Lars
L
Kearney
Peter
P
Lonergan
Moira
M
Shelley
Emer
E
Simoons
Maarten L
ML
D002309:Cardiology / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit; D012015:Reference Standards; D012042:Registries / Q000592:standards*