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Abstract
Background: Sharing and comparing health data at the international level is made difficult by heterogeneity in real world databases. Aim: Our primary objective was to field-test the implementation of the first common database developed conjointly by different national cardiological societies. Methods: Based upon G8-Cardio feasibility projects, the Italian Society of Hospital Cardiologists and the French Society of Cardiology joined together to standardize a cardiological, patient-oriented database, created by means of consensus agreement for sharing data in a common server. Quantification of standardization was obtained by analysing each dataset according to the possibility of merging corresponding fields. Data merging from national centres was completed in the common server and after proper data integration in the common database; a comparison was performed between French and Italian populations. Results: Standardization of contents allowed for 89% overall interoperability (merged fields) to be achieved with only 11% divergent fields. All (100%) merged homogeneous data on the first 2717 patients from peripheral centres were selected consecutively from the common database and analysed successfully. Relevant differences between the two populations were outlined. Conclusions: The international standardization and sharing/merging of databases is feasible. This model opens the way to important applications in internationally shared health care policies.