The National Data Bank of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery. The pilot experience

Since 1988, the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery has been enjoying through its National Intervention Registry a complete information about the number and type of cardiovascular surgical operations, yearly performed all over the country. However a computerized National Data Bank would probably offer a more specific, quick and complete information, although its organization is more complex. We want to demonstrate that the creation of a National Data Bank is possible in our country. The following condition has been essential to carry out this initial work on the National Data Bank: The previous existence of a National Intervention Registry, the edition of an universally accepted questionnaire of 33 questions with multiple answers for each question, which includes quantitative and qualitative aspects like mortality, the acquisition of the software Pats Programme by most cardiovascular centers, and finally the enthusiastic dedication of 6 surgical groups. The results of this work also shown in multiples figures, are the final product of the computerized fusion of 6 cardiovascular centers data on operations performed through the year 1991. The results clearly offer a more specific, detailed and extensive information about quantitative and qualitative aspects of the surgical data, than that obtained through the National Intervention Registry. These results should not be extrapolated at national level, as the surgical groups involved in this work are not homogeneous and its number is quite small. This initial study shows that the creation of the National Data Bank of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery or other scientific society is possible in our country. Its usefulness is beyond any doubt.