National Vascular Database

The National Vascular Database commenced in 1997 with a few interested surgeons pooling data from different centres to provide a comparison of outcomes in vascular surgery. This gradually expanded to include more centres and formal reports on the amalgamated data were produced in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004.

The Society has now introduced a web based system of data collection via NVD online. The advantage of such a system is that it is readily accessible to all who wish to use it and all that is required is internet access and a log in and password. In addition the data is collected in a single database and is therefore collected in a single format making subsequent analysis much easier; year on year sorting of data is not required. In developing this new system we have tried to accommodate the requirements of all our users and to make it easy for everyone who wishes to contribute data to do so. For many the ability to enter data online 24 hours a day is a major step forward, and all that is required is internet access and there is no charge for using the system. However we are aware that others already had their own systems of data collection and do not wish to change. For this reason we have introduced an upload facility to the web based system. The data has to be put into a prescribed format in order to upload it and this can be time consuming but this step is essential in order to ensure that all our data is in the same format.

The NVD is evolving all the time and adjustments will need to be made to it on an ongoing basis as the need for different data and analyses changes. As the data collected changes, as has occurred for the aneurysm screening project, so the upload will need to change and centres using this facility will need to keep updating their own systems to reflect these changes.

Another important aspect of the new NVD is the analysis. In the past the reports, both national and individual, have been well received. However written reports are labour intensive to produce and are out of date by the time they are published. Centres and surgeons need to know their results in comparison to national figures much more rapidly than written reporting allows. Therefore considerable work has been applied to enable on-line analysis with real time reporting of numbers, complications including mortality, and funnel plots. This can be accessed by all users and the database can be interrogated for information on various aspects of treatment.

Reports

National Vascular Database - 2009 report