Improving Quality of Congenital Heart Disease Research in Canada: Standardizing Nomenclature Across Canada

Abstract

In an effort to improve the quality of interinstitutional and nation-wide research into congenital heart disease (CHD) in Canada, the authors propose the national implementation of a single nomenclature list for CHD as a first step towards achieving a common disease classification system in all Canadian institutions that deal with congenital heart malformations. The authors offer a brief overview of the history and state of nomenclature for CHD in Canada and recommend the national use of the CHD diagnostic list that was recently finalized by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. This list was submitted to the World Health Organization for incorporation into the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases and was recently translated into French by members of the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. The bilingual list of the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases CHD terms is published online in this issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The national standardization of the nomenclature pertaining to CHD using the bilingual list of terms published herein will optimize national efforts to establish longitudinal CHD cohorts, capitalizing on Canada’s health care infrastructure and solidifying Canadian leadership in CHD research.