On behalf of the German Association of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) the Steering Committee of the QuIK Registry reports the results 2010 to 2012 of the voluntary Quality Assurance in Invasive Cardiology (QuIK) and compares them to other data collections. More than 70 % of diagnostic (LHC) and therapeutic (PCI) cardiac catheterization procedures in private practice were entered into the registry. Altogether 225,756 LHC and 63,951 PCI were documented over the three years period. In these years age of patients and percentage of acute coronary syndromes increased as well in LHC as in PCI while consumption of dye solution and application of radiation dose decreased. In PCI the rate of 3-vessel coronary artery disease is still continuously rising. These parameters prove the increasing complexity of the cases. By implemented standardized external auditing (monitoring) to guarantee validity of the data QuIK remains a worldwide unique quality assurance project in cardiology. On a stable data base over all together 17 years the QuIK Registry shows the reality of every day cardiologic care in catheterization laboratories beyond selected study populations as well as a reliable feasibility of internal and external quality assurance.

On behalf of the German Association of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) the Steering Committee of the QuIK Registry reports the results 2010 to 2012 of the voluntary Quality Assurance in Invasive Cardiology (QuIK) and compares them to other data collections. More than 70 % of diagnostic (LHC) and therapeutic (PCI) cardiac catheterization procedures in private practice were entered into the registry. Altogether 225,756 LHC and 63,951 PCI were documented over the three years period. In these years age of patients and percentage of acute coronary syndromes increased as well in LHC as in PCI while consumption of dye solution and application of radiation dose decreased. In PCI the rate of 3-vessel coronary artery disease is still continuously rising. These parameters prove the increasing complexity of the cases. By implemented standardized external auditing (monitoring) to guarantee validity of the data QuIK remains a worldwide unique quality assurance project in cardiology. On a stable data base over all together 17 years the QuIK Registry shows the reality of every day cardiologic care in catheterization laboratories beyond selected study populations as well as a reliable feasibility of internal and external quality assurance.

On behalf of the German Association of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) the Steering Committee of the QuIK Registry reports on the results of the voluntary quality assurance in invasive cardiology for the years 2006 to 2009 and compares them to other data collections. More than 70% of diagnostic (LHC) and therapeutic (PCI) cardiac catheterization procedures in private practice were entered into the registry. Altogether 315,174 LHC and 89,746 PCI were documented over the four year period. In these four years age of patients and percentage of acute coronary syndromes increased as well in LHC as in PCI while application of radiation dose and consumption of dye solution decreased. In PCI the rate of 3-vessel coronary artery disease is still rising, continuously. By implemented standardized external auditing (monitoring) to guarantee validity of the data, QuIK remains a worldwide unique quality assurance project in cardiology. On a stable data base over all together 14 years the QuIK Registry shows the reality of every day cardiologic care in catheterization laboratories beyond selected study populations.

On behalf of the German Association of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) the Steering Committee of the QuIK Registry reports on the results of the voluntary quality assurance in invasive cardiology for the years 2006 to 2009 and compares them to other data collections. More than 70% of diagnostic (LHC) and therapeutic (PCI) cardiac catheterization procedures in private practice were entered into the registry. Altogether 315,174 LHC and 89,746 PCI were documented over the four year period. In these four years age of patients and percentage of acute coronary syndromes increased as well in LHC as in PCI while application of radiation dose and consumption of dye solution decreased. In PCI the rate of 3-vessel coronary artery disease is still rising, continuously. By implemented standardized external auditing (monitoring) to guarantee validity of the data, QuIK remains a worldwide unique quality assurance project in cardiology. On a stable data base over all together 14 years the QuIK Registry shows the reality of every day cardiologic care in catheterization laboratories beyond selected study populations.

QuIK is the German acronym for QUalityAssurance in Invasive Cardiology.It describes the continuous project of an electronic data collectionin Cardiac catheterization laboratories all over Germany. Mainlymembers of the German Society of Cardiologists in Private Practice(BNK) participate in this computer based project. Since 1996 dataof diagnostic and interventional procedures are collected and sendto a registry-center where a regular benchmarking analysis of the resultsis performed. Part of the project is a yearly auditing process includingan on-site visit to the cath lab to guarantee for the reliabilityof information collected. Since 1996 about one million procedureshave been documented.

QuIK is the German acronym for QUality Assurance in Invasive Cardiology. It describes the continuous project of an electronic data collection in Cardiac catheterization laboratories all over Germany. Mainly members of the German Society of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) participate in this computer based project. Since 1996 data of diagnostic and interventional procedures are collected and send to a registry-center where a regular benchmarking analysis of the results is performed. Part of the project is a yearly auditing process including an on-site visit to the cath lab to guarantee for the reliability of information collected. Since 1996 about one million procedures have been documented.

Das Steering Committee des QuIK-Registers des Bundesverbandes Niedergelassener Kardiologen (BNK) berichtet über die Ergebnisse der freiwilligen externen vergleichenden Qualitätssicherung in der Invasivkardiologie 2003–2005 und vergleicht diese mit anderen Datenerhebungen. Das QuIK-Register bildete 2005 > 70% der diagnostischen (LHK) und 78% der therapeutischen (PCI) Herzkathetereingriffe im niedergelassenen Bereich ab. Insgesamt wurden von 2003–2005 229 462 LHK und 64 818 PCI dokumentiert. Im Berichtszeitraum nahmen sowohl bei LHK als auch bei PCI das Alter der Patienten, der Anteil an akuten Koronarsyndromen und der Anteil an Dreigefäßerkrankungen zu, während Kontrastmittelmengen und Durchleuchtungsdauer weiter abnahmen. QuIK ist durch die Möglichkeit des Follow-up, die große Teilnahme am externen Audit (Monitoring) und die sich daraus ergebende Zertifizierung weiterhin weltweit das einzige kardiologische QS-Projekt dieser Art. Aufgrund der stabilen Datenbasis über nunmehr 10 Jahre lassen sich aus dem QuIK-Register Qualitätsindikatoren für zukünftige Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen erstellen.

The German Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions in Private Practice has started a registry of cardiac procedures since 1996 in order to establish a standard for performance. Although quality management for the cath lab makes sense and is also legally required, there is no generally recommended infrastructure for quality assurance existing in Germany at this time. Therefore, the German Society of Cardiologists in Private Practice (BNK) initiated a project in 1994 to develop a computer program for paperless documentation of diagnostic cardiac catheterizations and coronary interventions (PTCA) using a minimal data set. In 1996, 8 private associated groups participated in this project. The (anonymous) analysis of 10,316 diagnostic cardiac catheterizations and 2597 PTCA yielded the following results: In 95% of the patients, diagnostic cardiac catheterization was performed using the femoral and in 5% the brachial/radial approach. The mean volume of administered contrast medium was 164 +/- 138 ml/patient. The mean LV-EF was greater than 50% in 58.4% of the patients and between 30% and 50% in 10.1%. Coronary artery disease was diagnosed in 69.6% of the patients and valvular/congenital heart disease in 8.5%. In 18.4% of the patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterizations no significant heart disease was identified. Mortality in the cath lab as well as the rate of cerebral insults was 0.05%. In 22.9% and 19% of the patients PTCA and cardiac surgery respectively was recommended. In patients undergoing PTCA, stable angina was present in 74.4% and unstable angina in 13.1%. Of the total number of PTCA procedures, 5.8% were performed in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. The PTCA lesion success rate was 96%, the mean diameter stenosis was 81% pre and 6% post-intervention. The mortality rate at 1 month post-PTCA was 0.4%, and myocardial infarction 1.0%. An acute occlusion occurred in 1.3% of the PTCA patients; 0.6% had to be transferred for emergency bypass surgery. None of the cath labs had on-site surgery. In comparison to other registries, our data show some similarities but also some different trends. Thus, our newly developed software proved to be reliable, fast and easy to use. Participating centers receive immediate feedback regarding their position within the whole group.

Obwohl ein qualitätsmanagement im Herzkatheterlabor Sinn macht und auch gesetzlich vorgeschrieben ist, gibt es in Deutschland hierzu bislang keine allgemein gültigen Strukturen. Daher hat der Bundesverband Niedergelassener Kardiologen (BNK) die Initiative ergriffen und 1994 in Zusammenarbeit mit der Arbeitsgruppe interventionelle Kardiologie (AGIK) der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie — Herzund Kreislaufforschung ein Computerprogramm zur papierlosen Dokumentation für diagnostische Linksherzkatheter und Koronarinterventionen (PTCA) entwickelt, 1996 nahmen acht Katheterpraxen an der Datenerfassung teil. Die Analyse der 10 316 Linksherzkatheter und 2597 PTCA führte zu folgenden Ergebnissen: Linksherzkatheter: Bei 95% der Patienten erfolgte die Katheterisierung über die Arteria femoralis, bei 5% über Armarterien. Die mittlere applizierte Kontrastmittelmenge betrug 164±138 ml pro Untersuchung. Die linksventrikuläre Auswurffraktion (EF) lag bei 58,4% der Patienten über 50% und bei 10,1% zwischen 30% und 50%. 69,6% der Patienten hatten eine koronare Herzerkrankung, 8,5% Vitien, und bei 18,4% war keine organische Herzerkrankung nachweisbar. Die Mortalität im Katheterlabor sowie die Rate zerebraler Insulte betrug jeweils 0,05%. Die Indikation zur PTCA wurde bei 22,9%, zur Herzoperation bei 19% gestellt. Bei den PTCA-Patienten bestand eine stabile Angina pectoris in 74,4%, eine instabile in 13,1%. 5,8% wurden wegen eines akuten Myokardinfarkts dilatiert. Erfolgreich dilatiert werden konnten 96% der Stenosen. Der visuell geschätzte mittlere Stenosegrad betrug vor Intervention 81% und nach der Intervention 6%. Die Mortalität (einschließlich vier Wochen nach der PTCA) betrug 0,4%, die Myokardinfarktrate 1,0%. In 1,3% kam es zu einem akuten Koronargefäßverschluß, 0,6% mußten einer notfallmäßigen Bypassoperation zugeführt werden. Unsere Ergebnisse lassen im Vergleich mit anderen Datenbanken viele Gemeinsamkeiten, aber auch unterschiedliche Trends erkennen. Somit hat sich der AGIK-Datensatz zur Qualitätserfassung für Linksherzkatheter und PTCA bewährt. Bei geringem Zeitaufwand und hoher Akzeptanz ermöglicht er die rasche Standortbestimmung einer individuellen Praxis im Vergleich zu den Mittelwerten der Gesamtgruppe und könnte flächendeckend eingesetzt werden.