The Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team (CANHEART): using big data to measure and improve cardiovascular health and healthcare services

Jack V Tu; Anna Chu; Linda R Donovan; Dennis T Ko; Gillian L Booth; Karen Tu; Laura C Maclagan; Helen Guo; Peter C Austin; William Hogg; Moira K Kapral; Harindra C Wijeysundera; Clare L Atzema; Andrea S Gershon; David A Alter; Douglas S Lee; Cynthia A Jackevicius; R Sacha Bhatia; Jacob A Udell; Mohammad R Rezai; Thérèse A Stukel

doi:10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.114.001416

The Cardiovascular Health in Ambulatory Care Research Team (CANHEART): using big data to measure and improve cardiovascular health and healthcare services

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2015 Mar;8(2):204-12. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.114.001416. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Authors

Jack V Tu¹, Anna Chu², Linda R Donovan², Dennis T Ko², Gillian L Booth², Karen Tu², Laura C Maclagan², Helen Guo², Peter C Austin², William Hogg², Moira K Kapral², Harindra C Wijeysundera², Clare L Atzema², Andrea S Gershon², David A Alter², Douglas S Lee², Cynthia A Jackevicius², R Sacha Bhatia², Jacob A Udell², Mohammad R Rezai², Thérèse A Stukel²

Affiliations

¹ From the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., A.C., L.R.D., D.T.K., G.L.B., K.T., L.C.M., H.G., P.C.A., W.H., M.K.K., H.C.W., C.L.A., A.S.G., D.A.A., D.S.L., C.A.J., R.S.B., J.A.U., M.R.R., T.A.S.); Division of Cardiology, Schulich Heart Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., D.T.K., H.C.W.); University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., A.C., D.T.K., G.L.B., K.T., P.C.A., M.K.K., H.C.W., C.L.A., A.S.G., D.A.A., D.S.L., C.A.J., R.S.B., J.A.U., T.A.S.); Division of Endocrinology, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (G.L.B.); Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (K.T.); Ottawa Research Group for Primary Health Care, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (W.H.); Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (W.H.); Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (M.K.K.); Division of Emergency Medicine (C.L.A.) and Division of Respirology (A.S.G.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (D.A.A.); Division of Cardiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (D.S.L.); College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA (C.A.J.); Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (R.S.B.); Cardiovascular Division, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (R.S.B., J.A.U.); and Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH (T.A.S.). tu@ices.on.ca.
² From the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., A.C., L.R.D., D.T.K., G.L.B., K.T., L.C.M., H.G., P.C.A., W.H., M.K.K., H.C.W., C.L.A., A.S.G., D.A.A., D.S.L., C.A.J., R.S.B., J.A.U., M.R.R., T.A.S.); Division of Cardiology, Schulich Heart Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., D.T.K., H.C.W.); University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (J.V.T., A.C., D.T.K., G.L.B., K.T., P.C.A., M.K.K., H.C.W., C.L.A., A.S.G., D.A.A., D.S.L., C.A.J., R.S.B., J.A.U., T.A.S.); Division of Endocrinology, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (G.L.B.); Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (K.T.); Ottawa Research Group for Primary Health Care, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (W.H.); Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (W.H.); Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (M.K.K.); Division of Emergency Medicine (C.L.A.) and Division of Respirology (A.S.G.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (D.A.A.); Division of Cardiology, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (D.S.L.); College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA (C.A.J.); Women's College Hospital Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (R.S.B.); Cardiovascular Division, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (R.S.B., J.A.U.); and Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH (T.A.S.).

PMID: 25648464
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.114.001416

Abstract

Background: The CArdiovascular HEalth in Ambulatory care Research Team (CANHEART) is conducting a unique, population-based observational research initiative aimed at measuring and improving cardiovascular health and the quality of ambulatory cardiovascular care provided in Ontario, Canada. A particular focus will be on identifying opportunities to improve the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in Ontario's diverse multiethnic population.

Methods and results: A population-based cohort comprising 9.8 million Ontario adults ≥20 years in 2008 was assembled by linking multiple electronic survey, health administrative, clinical, laboratory, drug, and electronic medical record databases using encoded personal identifiers. The cohort includes ≈9.4 million primary prevention patients and ≈400,000 secondary prevention patients. Follow-up on clinical events is achieved through record linkage to comprehensive hospitalization, emergency department, and vital statistics administrative databases. Profiles of cardiovascular health and preventive care will be developed at the health region level, and the cohort will be used to study the causes of regional variation in the incidence of major cardiovascular events and other important research questions.

Conclusions: Linkage of multiple databases will enable the CANHEART study cohort to serve as a powerful big data resource for scientific research aimed at improving cardiovascular health and health services delivery. Study findings will be shared with clinicians, policy makers, and the public to facilitate population health interventions and quality improvement initiatives.

Keywords: ambulatory care; cardiovascular diseases.

Publication types

Observational Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Ambulatory Care / standards*
Cardiology / standards*
Cardiovascular Diseases / diagnosis
Cardiovascular Diseases / ethnology
Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
Data Mining*
Databases, Factual*
Electronic Health Records
Female
Guideline Adherence / standards
Health Status
Humans
Incidence
Male
Medical Record Linkage
Middle Aged
Ontario / epidemiology
Practice Guidelines as Topic / standards
Practice Patterns, Physicians' / standards
Primary Prevention / standards
Process Assessment, Health Care / standards*
Quality Improvement / standards*
Quality Indicators, Health Care / standards*
Secondary Prevention / standards
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Young Adult

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding