title: Rationale, development and implementation of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Epistry-Cardiac Arrest.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the development, design and consequent scientific implications of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) population-based registry; ROC Epistry-Cardiac Arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ROC Epistry--Cardiac Arrest is designed as a prospective population-based registry of all Emergency Medical Services (EMSs)-attended 9-1-1 calls for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurring in the geographical area described by the eight US and three Canadian regions. The dataset was derived by an North American interdisciplinary steering committee. Enrolled cases include individuals of all ages who experience cardiac arrest outside the hospital, with evaluation by organized EMS personnel and: (a) attempts at external defibrillation (by lay responders or emergency personnel), or chest compressions by organized EMS personnel; (b) were pulseless but did not receive attempts to defibrillate or CPR by EMS personnel. Selected data items are categorized as mandatory or optional and undergo revisions approximately every 12 months. Where possible all definitions are referenced to existing literature. Where a common definition did not exist one was developed. Optional items include standardized CPR process data elements. It is anticipated the ROC Epistry--Cardiac Arrest will enroll between approximately 9000 and 13,500 treated all rhythm arrests and 4000 and 5000 ventricular fibrillation arrests annually and approximately 8000 EMS-attended but untreated arrests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe the rationale, development, design and future implications of the ROC Epistry--Cardiac Arrest. This paper will serve as the reference for subsequent ROC manuscripts and for the common data elements captured in both ROC Epistry--Cardiac Arrest and the ROC trials.
authors.affiliation: Prehospital and Transport Medicine Research Program, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Suite C753, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4N 3M5. laurie.morrison@sunnybrook.ca
authors.forename: Laurie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christenson
authors.forename: Clifton W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Callaway
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Ronald G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Pirrallo
authors.forename: Dianne L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Ahamed H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Idris
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newgard
mesh_terms: D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D012042:Registries