Research Datasets held by the Discipline of General Practice, NUI Galway

 

Study Name: CoHeart

Study Number (SN): 0011-00 

 

Health Research Board (2001/2). CoHeart [data collection]. Version 1. Dublin: Irish Social Science Data Archive SN: 0011-00. http://www.ucd.ie/issda/datasetsintheissda/coheart/

 

Aim of original study

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of secondary preventive care of ischaemic heart disease amongst a cohort of patients with existing ischaemic heart disease identified in a cross-sectional study in 2000/1 in a randomly selected, representative, stratified sample of 37 general practices in the West of Ireland. This project was funded by a three-year Health Research Board project grant.

Number of patients: 1,609

Inclusion criteria

Previous AMI, PTCA, CABG or diagnosis of angina.

Data collection period

2000/1 – 2005/6. Mean follow-up time 4.5 years.

Key variables

  • Primary outcomes include:
    • All-cause or IHD-related death
  • Secondary outcomes include:
    • AMI, PTCA and/or CABG since baseline.
    • Health status measured using the SF36 questionnaire at baseline and SF12 at follow-up.
    • Age (in years), sex, rurality (whether the practice was in a rural or urban area), deprivation (GMS status). Coexisting diabetes (type I or II) and chronic kidney disease (serum creatinine level).
    • Prescription of beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or statins.
    • Measure of the process of care: number primary care visits; number of hospital visits. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, body Mass Index, Exercise (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire); Smoking status; Diet (DINE, including question regarding portions of fresh fruit and vegetables).

Data collection

  • Baseline
    • A total of 1,609 eligible patients were identified for inclusion, 3.16% (95% CI 2.86-3.62) of the total practice population.
    • Postal Questionnaire
    • Thirty four patients were excluded from receiving the questionnaire at the request of their GP. Of the 1,577 sent, 1,084 (68.7%) were returned.
  • Follow up
    • All the practices that participated at baseline did so at follow up.
    • Of the 37 practices, 9 (24.3%) used electronic patient records only, 20 (54.1%) used a combination of electronic and paper charts and 8 (21.6%) used paper charts only.
    • Charts were located and searched for 1592/1609 patients (98.9%).
    • Patient questionnaires were sent to 1269 patients; 340 patients were excluded from receipt of questionnaires by their general practitioners for reasons of death since baseline, serious illness, moving away, illiteracy or difficult family circumstances. Questionnaires were returned by 876 (69%).
  • Missing data
    • Information bias is possible where measurements are out of the control of a study and open to variation in measurement methods and accuracy from clinician to clinician as well as recording errors and omission. 
    • Datasets were not complete for every patient at either baseline or follow up. Data were most complete for major outcomes and clinical process of care variables, least complete for lifestyle related data and patient-reported diet data.
    • Reliable verification data on cause of death were available for 90.7% of deceased cohort members


Key outputs to date

  • Buckley B, Murphy AW Do patients with angina alone have a more benign prognosis than patients with a history of acute myocardial infarction, revascularisation or both? Findings from a community cohort study. Heart; 95 461-467 Online First: 31 July 2008. doi:10.1136/hrt.2008.146944
  • Glynn L, Buckley B, Reddan D, Newell J, Hinde J, Dinneen SF, Murphy AW. Multimorbidity and risk among patients with established cardiovascular disease: a cohort study. BJGP 2008; 58 (552): 488-494.
  • Buckley B, Murphy AW, Glynn LG, Hennigan C. Gender bias in enrolment to a programme aimed at the secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease in general practice: a cohort study. International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2007;61 (10): 1767–1772.  doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01548.x
  • Buckley B, Murphy AW, Byrne M, Glynn L. Selection bias resulting from the requirement for prior consent in observational research: a community cohort of people with ischaemic heart disease. Heart. 2007; 93 (9): 1116-1120  doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.111591
  • Glynn LG, Reddan D, Newell J, Hinde J, Buckley B, Murphy AW. Chronic kidney disease and mortality and morbidity among patients with established cardiovascular disease: a West of Ireland community-based cohort study. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. 2007 doi:10.1093/ndt/gfm222
  • Buckley B, Glynn L, Byrne M, Murphy AW, Shryane E. Accessing cause of death data in Ireland through improved national electronic sources: a case study. Forum 2007 ; 23 (4): 25-6.
  • Byrne M, Murphy AW, Walsh JC, et al. A cross-sectional study of secondary cardiac care in general practice: impact of personal and practice characteristics. Fam Pract 2006;23:295–302.

 

 

Data access

Data is available in SPSS format. To access the data, please complete the ISSDA Data Request Form for Research Purposes - Pseudonymised Datasets, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

 

Documentation

Variable List (PDF)

Links:

For technical queries, please contact:

  • Dr Brian Buckley (email)

For a list of Health related datasets click here.

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