Project Development

Pilot Phase: July 2019 – June 2022

During this phase, the project team communicated with over twenty countries, resulting in nine countries participating in EuroHeart: Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Iceland and Singapore. 

During the Pilot Phase, EuroHeart data standards for four disease domains were developed: ACS-PCI, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and TAVI; The EuroHeart Registry IT platform was developed and implemented in three countries: Estonia, Romania and Lithuania (in progress). More information on the Pilot Phase.

Consolidation Phase: October 2022 - December 2024

Following the positive evaluation of the Pilot Phase, the EuroHeart project transitioned to a two-year Consolidation Phase. This phase aims to expand the EuroHeart network to at least fifteen countries, develop additional data standards and establish the EuroHeart Data Science Centre to enable processes for collaborative research projects. The project will also develop the EuroHeart Registry IT platform to support registry-based randomised clinical trials (R-RCT) and device/drug surveillance research. 

More information on the Consolidation Phase.

Realization phase: January 2025 – Today

From 1st January 2025, EuroHeart transitioned from a pilot project to an established activity of the Data Science program of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), which marks a significant commitment to improve cardiovascular care across Europe.

By the end of 2024, fourteen countries have become members of the collaboration out of which eight participated in the registration of standardised data in 2023 which are included in the 2024 annual report for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and percutaneous and coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives:

• Monitor and improve the quality of care, as appropriate for the local geography and proportionate to the existing infrastructure and investment in health care.
• Enable the comparisons of systems, standards and development of care and outcomes between the participating countries.
• Foster a culture of a learning health care system based on monitoring of differences in care both at a National and International level.
• Provide a framework for registry-based randomised controlled trials (R-RCT) in representative patient populations across multiple geographies.
• Provide a framework for cost-effective safety surveillance of new drugs and devices

The ESC will continue to support and develop the EuroHeart network, while improving data quality and coverage and expanding within existing registry domains. EuroHeart will operate as a permanent platform for standardised data collection across Europe.

EuroHeart Data Standards

EuroHeart registries and data standards

Data from real-world studies show variation in the delivery of care for patients with cardiovascular disease. Working with domain experts from national registries and clinical cardiology, representing the breadth of the ESC, EuroHeart is developing a suite of data standards for common cardiovascular diseases which are being used by national registries to capture information about patients with cardiovascular disease. The aim of the collection of these data is to support the improvement of cardiovascular care quality and to provide a means for observational and randomised clinical research.

The EuroHeart data standards will comprise internationally agreed standardised variables and corresponding definitions. In addition, these data standards aim to capture, analyse and report the ESC Quality Indicators which align with the ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines. Such an integration between ESC registries and Quality Indicators allows the use of routinely collected data for the reporting of important processes of care and the monitoring of new drugs and devices.

Methodology for the development of data standards

The EuroHeart methodology for the development of data standards for cardiovascular disease was published in the European Heart Journal - Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes. This has since been used to develop the data standards and clinical outcomes for the common cardiovascular conditions: acute coronary syndrome-percutaneous coronary intervention (ACS-PCI), heart failure, atrial fibrillation, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Completed data standards

• ACS-PCI
• Heart failure
• Atrial fibrillation
• TAVI

Completed clinical outcomes

• ACS-PCI
• Heart failure
• Atrial fibrillation - alongside its complementary outcomes
• TAVI

Future Work

Soon to be finalised is the ranking of existing patient reported outcomes measures (PROMs) for each of the common cardiovascular conditions.

Now that EuroHeart has transitioned to an ESC activity, EuroHeart is focusing on the collection of data and the production of annual reports based on the completed EuroHeart data standards. The ACS-PCI annual report is now established across the member EuroHeart countries with preparation for a TAVI annual report well underway and expected to be available in late 2026.  

Interested in joining ? Find more information on the page Want to join EuroHeart? or contact us by email for more information and access to the documents.