Data on cardiovascular disease in the Netherlands can be found in various places. Not very user-friendly for researchers, policy makers and medical professionals who make use of these data. For this reason, the Dutch Heart Foundation and the Dutch Heart Registration (NHR) are launching the joint environment www.nederlandsehartregistratie.nl/hartenvaatcijfers. This website offers all reliable data on (care for) heart disease in the Netherlands.
Every year all the latest figures on, among other things, prevalence, incidence and death from cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands, are provided by the Heart Foundation and partners. Reports are made on specific syndromes, numbers of patients and risk factors. The NHR facilitates the national registrations of all complex cardiological and cardio-surgical treatments in Dutch hospitals. Thanks to the participation of all Dutch hospitals, the high degree of completeness of data and the extensive quality controls, the NHR offers a wealth of information about the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Convenience first
The data from the Dutch Heart Foundation and the NHR fit in well with each other and enrich each other. 'That's why we are launching a joint environment where all this data can be found now and in the future,' explains Dr. Raymond Wimmers from the ‘Dutch Heart Foundation. 'We try to make it as easy as possible for everyone who is interested in cardiovascular data.' The Dutch Heart Foundation and NHR not only work with hospitals when collecting data, but also use other sources such as data from NIVEL, CBS and DHD. This way all available, relevant data can be found in one environment.
User research
The new environment forms a point of departure that will be further developed in the coming years. 'In the coming months, the Heart Foundation and NHR will discuss about the specific wishes and needs with researchers, policy makers and medical professionals', Dr. Dennis van Veghel, director of the NHR explains. The members of the DCVA are cordially invited to think along. Interested parties can register via: hartenvaatcijfers@nederlandsehartregistratie.nl.
DCVA
The Dutch Heart Foundation and the NHR are active within the Dutch CardioVascular Alliance. This initiative was partly the result of cooperation within the DCVA. A good example of how knowledge and expertise can be combined, with the ultimate goal of reducing the burden of disease as a result of cardiovascular disease.