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CCORT is funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team Grant in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research

CANHEART is funded by a CIHR Team Grant in Chronic Disease Risk & Intervention Strategies

 

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CArdiovascular HEalth in Ambulatory Care
Research Team

CANHEART

 

 
We are pleased to announce that we received a new CIHR Team Grant focused on Chronic Disease and Intervention Strategies. This research will be conducted by CANHEART (CArdiovascular HEalth in Ambulatory Care Research Team), a group of Ontario-based investigators, led by Dr. Jack Tu, and focuses on improving outpatient care provided to patients with cardiovascular risk factors and/or chronic conditions. More information regarding CANHEART is available here.
 
 

 Prediction of Heart Failure Mortality in Emergent Care: A Cohort Study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine

Investigators from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences have developed the Emergency Heart Failure Mortality Risk Grade, a risk score consisting of a set of clinical questions and routinely available tests that can be calculated in any emergency department to predict the chances of a patient dying within seven days after presentation to the emergency department.  The clinical risk model can predict, with high accuracy, mortality among heart failure patients who present to the emergency department and may guide admission versus discharge decision-making.  For additional details, please see here for the news release.

Lee DS, Stitt A, Austin PC, Stukel TA, Schull MJ, Chong A, Newton GE, Lee JS, Tu JV.  Prediction of Heart Failure Mortality in Emergent Care: A Cohort Study.  Annals of Internal Medicine 2012; 156(11): 767-775.

 

CCORT reaches 10 Year milestone—2001-2011
CCORT’s research addresses the leading cause of death world-wide—heart disease—in order to improve patient outcomes. Launched in 2001, led by PI Dr. Jack Tu, CCORT consists of over 30 leading cardiovascular outcomes researchers from 6 provinces (BC, AB, ON, QC, NB, NS) across Canada. CCORT’s research, made possible by two team grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research*, (and supplemental funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada) has improved care quality, service delivery and changed the landscape of cardiovascular health services outcomes research. Its innovative methodologies and findings are documented in over 170 peer-reviewed publications, including the first ever Canadian Cardiovascular Atlas. In addition, CCORT trained over 60 ‘next generation’ outcomes researchers from across Canada as part of the CCORT Student Training program.
*2001-2006 CIHR IHRT grant; 2006-2011 CIHR Team grant in cardiovascular outcomes research
CCORT’s 10 year journey is described in the attached article entitled 'Canadian Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Team: Lessons Learned'. Tu JV. Canadian Journal of General Internal Medicine 2011; 6(1):18-19
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Variation in coronary revascularization practices explored in CMAJ paper

A study led by Dr. Jack Tu, for the Cardiac Care Network (CCN) of Ontario’s Variations in Revascularization Practice in Ontario (VRPO) Working Group explores what drives the variation observed in the ratio of percutaneous coronary interventions to coronary artery bypass graft surgeries (PCI:CABG ratio) across Ontario hospitals. The study also involved several other CCORT investigators--see reference below.

This retrospective cohort study involved a population-based sample of 8,972 patients who underwent an index cardiac catheterization between April 2006 and March 2007 at any of Ontario’s 17 cardiac centres.  The study's objective was to identify clinical and nonclinical factors associated with the considerable degree of variation observed in the ratio across centres.

The study revealed a threefold variation in the ratios across the four hospital ratio groups (low [< 2.0], low–medium [2.0–2.7], medium–high [2.8–3.2] and high [> 3.2]).  The overall mean PCI:CABG ratio was 2.7.  However, ratios ranged from a mean of 1.6 in the lowest ratio group to a mean of 4.6 in the highest ratio group. Most of the variation in ratios was driven by the variation in how patients with non-emergent multivessel disease were managed.

The strongest independent predictors of the mode of revascularization were i) the physician performing the diagnostic catheterization; and ii) the treating hospital.  These findings, as discussed in the accompanying commentary, indicate that the transparency and consistency of the decision making process for revascularization can be improved.  For further details please see the article here.  The commentary is available here.

Tu JV, Ko DT, Guo H, Richards JA, Walton N, Natarajan MK, Wijeysundera HC, So D, Latter DA, Feindel CM, Kingsbury K, Cohen EA, for the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario’s Variations in Revascularization Practice in Ontario Working Group. Determinants of variations in coronary revascularization Practices. CMAJ. December 12, 2011.