DALLAS, September 1, 2020 — Researchers from more than 150 U.S. hospitals and health systems participating in the American Heart Association® COVID-19 CVD Registry Powered by Get With The Guidelines® are able to submit applications for the next round of research proposals using the national dataset. The AHA COVID-19 CVD Registry captures data on patient clinical characteristics, medications, treatments, labs, vitals, biomarkers and outcomes for adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at more than 150 participating hospitals and health systems in the U.S., including those without a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke. To date, more than 15,000 patients’ health measures and data points are available in the registry. 

The deadline for the second round of research proposals is Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at 5 p.m. Central Time. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the AHA COVID-19 Steering Committee and will be rated based on priority, novel contribution to the scientific literature, feasibility with the data collected and merit.

Accepted proposals will contribute to the understanding of the complexities of COVID-19 and its impact on cardiovascular and stroke care. Once accepted, researchers can begin analyzing the data collected on the case record form on the Precision Medicine Platform.

“The American Heart Association approved 15 of the 34 research proposals in the first round back in June – indicative of the need for understanding the many complexities of COVID-19,” explains James de Lemos, M.D., co-chair of the steering committee for the registry and professor of medicine and the Sweetheart Ball-Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D., Distinguished Chair in Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Research is key to tracking the effectiveness of treatments and patterns in patient outcomes. Having access to this rapidly growing data set provides the potential for multiple teams to develop simultaneous breakthroughs on multiple fronts. This is instrumental in helping health care professionals gather the evidence needed to rapidly adjust protocols for COVID-19 patients and reflects the importance of the American Heart Association’s COVID-19 CVD registry.”

This innovative, hospital-based, quality improvement program is built on the AHA’s more than two decades of success delivering Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) to hospitals and health systems across the U.S.

This is an opportunity to look at clinical care of COVID-19 patients and the impact on cardiovascular health nationally. Using the Association’s case report form for structured data collection to capture the same data elements across the country, the researchers have a consistent data set throughout the country representative of the U.S. adult population.   

Participating in the AHA COVID-19 CVD Registry is available free/at no cost to hospitals. In addition to being specifically designed to track all hospitalized COVID-19 patients to get real-time data from across the nation, the registry includes the following features:

  • access to national and regional benchmarks;
  • ability to use key learnings and data for future pandemic preparedness;
  • leverage the registry for powerful rapid research; and
  • in the near future, the capability for enhanced measures and reports.

To participate in the registry, researchers can complete and submit the information request form, and the AHA COVID-19 CVD Registry Team members will be in touch. Additional registry resources and the list of participating sites can be found here.

To-date, more than 150 hospitals have joined the AHA COVID-19 CVD Registry since the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, announced the registry on April 3 and have collectively submitted data from more than 15,000 unique patients. 

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

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For Media Inquiries and AHA/ASA Expert Perspective: 214-706-1173

Karen Springs: karen.springs@heart.org  

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

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