Das Deutsche Herzschrittmacher-Register

Abstract

The German Pacemaker Register represents the oldest, still existing registry for cardiac rhythm devices worldwide and with nearly 1 million datasets also the largest register. It was founded by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Herzschrittmacher e.V., and the first annual report presented data from 1982. Data were sent on a voluntary basis to the"Deutsches Zentralregister Herzschrittmacher" (German Central Register for Pacemakers) in Giessen, Germany, and were analyzed and published by Prof. Dr. Ing. Werner Irnich and his coworkers through 1999. Since the year 2000, the German Pacemaker Register represents the result of a cooperation between the German Cardiac Society, the"Bundesgeschäftsstelle Qualitätssicherung" (BQS, National Institute for Quality and Patient Safety; through 2009) and the AQUA Institute (since 2010), respectively. Since 2002, the German Pacemaker Register uses data from healthcare performance measurements. A new law is the basis of this data collection; thus, data collection is nearly 100%, which contributes to the improved data quality compared to the early years of the register. Although some targets still have not been reached, the German Pacemaker Register has contributed to a more comprehensive overview of pacemaker therapy in Germany by continuously publishing annual reports for roughly three decades. Many people have contributed to this tremendous work and they deserve our deepest respect and thanks.