Submit an Abstract for AQO
Abstracts are now being accepted for presentation consideration at Advances in Quality & Outcomes: A Data Managers Meeting, September 26-28 in Hollywood, California. AQO is the perfect forum to share valuable research and important clinical findings with hundreds of your peers. Your input can make the STS National Database even better! Abstracts must be submitted no later than Tuesday, May 29, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Registration and housing information for AQO will be posted in the coming months. If you have questions about the abstract submission process, contact Emily Conrad.
Watch or Listen to Discussion on the New STS Intermacs Database
The STS National Database recently expanded to include a registry for clinical outcomes of patients who receive a mechanical circulatory support (MCS) device to treat advanced heart failure. The STS Intermacs Database adds important longitudinal data to the Society’s collection of highly respected subspecialty outcomes registries. Watch here as Drs. David M. Shahian, Francis D. Pagani, and Robert L. Kormos discuss how Intermacs complements the other three component databases and how the data can be used for research and performance improvement. You also can listen on the STS Podcast Episodes page, or subscribe to Surgical Hot Topics via iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you access your podcasts.
Early Bird Pricing Ends Today for 2018 STS Intermacs Meeting
Registration is now open for the 2018 STS Intermacs Meeting, May 11-12, near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. This Friday-Saturday course will focus on patient-reported outcomes, new science, clinical trials, adverse events, the STS Intermacs Database, and new technologies related to MCS. Sessions will incorporate invited lectures, poster presentations, and product demonstrations. Register today, April 19, to save $100 with early bird pricing! The special group rates for hotel reservations also expire today.
Address Q4 Intermacs Data Quality Issues by April 30
STS Intermacs Database participants recently received their Q4 2017 Quality Assurance and Data Quality reports, which provide each hospital with an up-to-date snapshot of key data entered into the Database, as well as details regarding data inconsistencies and improbable values. Please review any possible data inconsistencies in your report and submit your confirmations by Monday, April 30. Key dates regarding 2018 quarterly reports are:
Check Tetralogy of Fallot Diagnoses
In order for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients to be counted in the Congenital Heart Surgery Database (CHSD), they must have a primary diagnosis of TOF with pulmonary stenosis. Pulmonary stenosis is a component of TOF, but the only way it is counted is if the primary diagnosis is TOF, pulmonary stenosis. If the primary diagnosis is TOF alone, this will not be included. Please refer to the Interpretation Guide on page 57 of your spring Data Analysis Report. This section also will give you the required diagnosis and procedures to be included in the lesion-specific tables. This code, TOF-290, is on the Data Collection Form for use as a fundamental diagnosis when you may not have information on the specific type of TOF.
Quick Hits: GTSD v2.41, FAQs, ACSD Reports
- Version 2.41 of the General Thoracic Surgery Database will go into effect on July 1. To assist in this transition, the version 2.41 Data Collection Forms are now available.
- New frequently asked questions and answers in adult cardiac, general thoracic, and congenital heart surgery have been added to the STS website. If you have a question that you’d like answered, fill out the Clinical Question Request Form. (Please note: If you send an email directly to the FAQ mailbox, do not send secured or encrypted messages. They cannot be opened, and you will not receive a response.)
- Participants in the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database can expect their Q4 2017 reports by the end of April. As a reminder, the Data Submission 2 period will close on May 25, and the deadline to opt out is May 28. See more details in the 2018 harvest schedule.