Using patient data to improve treatment and care for heart attack patients

Cumulative missed opportunities for care after acute myocardial infarction: A linked national cardiovascular registries cohort study to identify preventable deaths

Dr Chris Gale and colleagues from the University of Leeds will spend two years creating the world’s largest research database of information about heart attacks. They will do this by linking together, for the first time, existing databases and electronic healthcare records to clarify and strengthen the information we have in the UK about the care which occurs after a heart attack. This cardiovascular disease database will be called “UNIFY-care” (Unique linkage of National Cardiovascular electronic patient records For Your Care). It will reveal information on the treatment received by, and the recovery of, nearly 1 million NHS patients who have had a heart attack. It will help to identify where opportunities for treatment or prevention may be missed during care, and how some deaths may be prevented.