Technology to improve heart disease treatment

  • Tony Ryall
Health

Cardiac doctors and nurses now have two new online tools designed to help improve the treatment of heart disease, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.
 
“Cardiovascular disease accounts for 40 per cent of deaths annually, making it the leading cause of death in New Zealand,” says Mr Ryall.
 
“Two new online cardiac registries will lead to better patient care – one for cardiologists, specialists and nurses to capture all cardiac interventions, and another for cardiac surgery.
 
“Over 20,000 people present to hospitals with a heart attack or unstable angina each year. Lifesaving care for these patients requires complex services.
 
“These web-based tools will improve the quality of cardiovascular care for all New Zealanders through stronger collection and analysis of data,” says Mr Ryall.
 
The cardiac intervention registry is being rolled out across 38 public hospitals. Private catheter labs also plan to adopt the tool later this year.

The cardiac surgery registry will be in the five hospitals nationwide which perform cardiac surgery and is being offered to private surgical centres.

“Gathering and analysing data on patient outcomes will help to standardise practices, and ensure consistent treatment is provided to patients at the right time,” says Mr Ryall.
 
“Both will also help identity where quality improvement is needed and allow intervention at a national level if required,” says Mr Ryall.
 
The online tools were funded by the Ministry of Health and developed through a collaborative project with cardiologists and cardiac surgeons across District Health Boards, the National Cardiac Network and the New Zealand branch of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
 
Researchers at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health also contributed to the cardiac intervention registry alongside Enigma Solutions Ltd, a New Zealand based specialist creator of clinical web based applications.  

Dendrite Clinical Systems Ltd were involved in the development of the surgical registry.