20 <strong>Circulatory</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Magazine Baukje van Dinther and Katrien Groenhof
Wealth of data in Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort In healthcare, we collect a lot of data that we do not or hardly use for scientific research. This changes with the Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort (UCC). Baukje van Dinther (manager UCC) and Katrien Groenhof (PhD student UCC) tell us more about this. Baukje, what is the UCC? "The UCC is a collaboration of all of the departments at the UMC Utrecht that treat patients with a cardiovascular disease or a risk factor for it. We combine healthcare and scientific research. For the UCC, we collect the same data on all patients, regardless of specialty. We adhere to the current Dutch guidelines for cardiovascular risk management. Because of the UCC, we have a risk profile for cardiovascular disease for each patient, which can then be used for care. With the patient's consent, we collect extra blood for (future) scientific research. That enables us to monitor the patient over time. The UCC is about the improvement of cardiovascular care in the broadest sense of the word. It is supported by the divisions that participate in the strategic theme and by ZonMW." What does your work day look like, Baukje? "I facilitate the UCC at UMC Utrecht. Facilitating this centrally, enables uniform registration of the collected healthcare data and the informed consent. To that end, I talk to a lot of people every day.” Katrien: "From secretaries to professors, you connect them all." Preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases can be further improved if we use medical data and measurements from patient care in our scientific research. That is why UMC Utrecht set up the Utrecht Cardiovascular Cohort (UCC), a collaboration of all departments and divisions in the strategic theme <strong>Circulatory</strong> <strong>Health</strong>. What answers will the UCC be able to provide? "<strong>Health</strong>care professionals ask patients for broad-ranging informed consent, suitable for a wide range of research questions. These questions are taken from practice, such as the questions Katrien is working on. It is good that you came, Katrien, it really gives the UCC a boost. As Katrien uses the data and assesses the quality, it is also possible to make improvements at an organizational level. The data of the UCC are from and for all specialties. Everyone with a question to be answered can use them. So if you have a research question: let us know!" (www.umcutrecht.nl/UCC) Katrien, how long have you been working for us? "I was hired a year ago as a PhD student at the UCC. In short, my thesis is about improving care for cardiovascular patients. These patients see various specialists: cardiologist, endocrinologist, geriatrician, gynecologist, nephrologist, neurologist, vascular surgeon and vascular internist. And at different times in their lives, from being a pregnant woman to an elderly patient. The UCC ensures that data on all these patients are collected in the same manner, which makes it easier to discover differences and similarities between them. Using the data collected in the UCC, I can see how effectively the LDL cholesterol ('bad cholesterol') of our patients is treated or how important family history is for predicting cardiovascular diseases." What is the aim of your research? "Cardiovascular diseases do not end on the threshold of one specialty or even of the hospital. Cooperation is vital, both in daily care and in scientific research for the future. This project facilitates that. That's why I think the UCC is great!" <strong>Circulatory</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Magazine 21
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