Mechanisms have been developed to achieve internal reporting consistency. An expert oversight panel of nationally recognized statistical experts, knowledgeable in data acquisition and analysis evaluated the Society s system. The vendor contract renewal process, regarding warehousing, analyzing, and reporting is underway. The Society and the American College of Cardiology have been approached by HCFA to develop a database of cardiovascular interventions. A Definitions Sub-committee chaired by Bruce Ferguson has accomplished the initial step, the development of common definitions.
Negotiations are underway to proceed further.
The Database Committee has been cooperating with California, Ohio, and other states to assist them in developing databases patterned after the Society s system, a system that has been employed effectively by Minnesota thoracic surgeons for their state. It is important to realize that a database is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. In the future the increased demand for longitudinal data will require identification of entered data to allow comparison. Because the database is so important to our specialty s future, we have planned a special database panel presentation at the beginning of tomorrow morning s plenary session addressing the future promise of databases to assist us in our everyday management of patients. I encourage you all to attend this important session.