International Models of National Arrhythmia Registries
International Models of National Arrhythmia Registries
1. United States – AHA (Get With The Guidelines AFib Registry)
1. Form: Dedicated electronic case report form (eCRF), separate from physician notes but linked to hospital electronic records.
2. Timing: Data collected at admission, at discharge, after procedures (ablation/device), and at structured follow-ups: 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, then yearly.
3. Data entry: Done by trained registry coordinators or nurses, not physicians.
4. Outcomes captured: In-hospital complications, discharge medications, recurrence, readmissions, stroke, bleeding, mortality.
5. Outputs:
• Visual reports (electronic summary panels) for each hospital.
• Hospital performance comparison reports against national averages.
6. Technology: Automatic transfer of patient information (age, diagnosis, labs, medications) from electronic records, with manual entry only for details not available in structured format.
2. Canada – CCS Quality Project (Arrhythmia/Device Registries)
1. Form: Web-based registry hosted nationally, with short (1–2 page) e-forms using tick-boxes and dropdown menus.
2. Timing: At admission/discharge, immediately after ablation or device implantation, and at follow-up points: 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, annually.
3. Data entry: Coordinators or data managers extract data from hospital records; not directly by physicians.
4. Outcomes: Procedural success, complications, recurrence, readmissions, device performance.
5. Outputs:
• Simple visual reports for each center.
• National hospital performance comparison reports.
6. Technology: Increasing use of automated transfer from electronic patient files to minimize manual workload.
4. ESC (EuroHeart / EHRA Registries)
1. Framework: ESC and EHRA promote the EuroHeart project, aiming to harmonize arrhythmia data collection across Europe.
2. Form: Structured eCRF covering demographics, arrhythmia diagnosis, management, procedures, and outcomes.
3. Timing: Data collected at admission, discharge, after ablation/device implantation, and structured follow-ups: 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, yearly.
4. Data entry: Carried out by registry coordinators or nurses, not by treating physicians.
5. Outputs:
• Visual reports for hospitals.
• Hospital performance comparison reports at national and European levels.
6. Technology: Key information (age, diagnosis, labs, medications) transferred automatically from hospital records; manual entry only for exceptional details such as complications or reasons for not prescribing anticoagulation.
7. Focus: Standardized definitions enable comparison between countries and ensure reliable data for both quality improvement and international research.
Final Take-Home for Jordan
All models (AHA, CCS, APSC, ESC) share the same key principles:
• Web-based registry, 1–2 page forms, mostly tick-boxes.
• Data entry by coordinators, not physicians.
• Timing fixed: admission, discharge, procedures, and structured follow-ups (30 days, 6 months, 12 months, yearly).
• Outputs: visual reports and hospital performance comparison reports.
• Technology: automatic transfer of data from electronic records, with manual completion only where necessary.
