German chest pain unit registry: data review after the first decade of certification.

Abstract

In 2008, the German Cardiac Society (GCS) introduced acertification program for specialized chest pain units (CPUs). In order to benchmark the performance of the certified CPUs, anationwide German CPU registry was established. Since then, data for more than 34,000 patients have been included. The concept of certified CPUs in Germany has been widely accepted and its success is underlined by its recent inclusion in national and international guidelines. As of December 2019, 286 CPUs have been successfully certified or recertified by the GCS. This review focuses on the data retrieved from the CPU registry during the first decade of certification. As demonstrated by 16manuscripts stemming from the registry, certified German CPUs demonstrate high quality of care in acute coronary syndrome and beyond. It is also noted that the German CPU registry allowed for further analysis of the gap in guideline adherence. With the current update of the CPU certification criteria, central data collection as abest-practice criterion will be abandoned, and after some productive years the registry has temporarily been stopped.