The Euro Heart Survey programme information technology group designs and supports the soft- and hardware applications of the surveys. Existing computer software with remote data entry is used to transfer the data to the central database at the European Heart House via secured connections over the Internet. Available interactive Internet technology facilitates communication between the remote and the collecting centres. The survey protocols and the corresponding data definitions, forms and study schedules can be generated and upgraded at each site from the central survey system at the European Heart House. An automatic constant Survey Progress Report Web Site protected by passwords allows each centre to follow its own progress and the progress of the survey globally.
All data is encrypted for transfer.
Patient personal data will be protected and encoded according to the rules in each participating country. The data to be collected by the Euro Heart Survey may be of interest to cardiologists, but also to hospital management and other providers of health care. In addition to the investigators, others will have access to the data upon approval by the Euro Heart Survey Committee. The Committee for Methodology and Data Management has developed rules for the use of parts of the data by interested parties and to ensure that all ethical and legal requirements related to confidentiality of the data will be maintained. The identity of the patients is only recorded through code numbers in the participating hospitals and is not transferred to the central database within the European Heart House.