QRESEARCH Team Welcome New Validation Of QRISK formula for identifying those most at risk of developing heart disease

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 09 Jul 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The University of Nottingham and leading healthcare systems supplier EMIS welcomed a new, independent validation of the QRISK formula for identifying those most at risk of developing heart disease. The two organisations worked together, through the not-for-profit partnership QResearch, to develop the ground-breaking formula which has been strongly endorsed in new research published in the BMJ .

Researchers from the University of Oxford have recommended its widespread use across the UK in place of the more commonly-used Framingham equation. Commenting on the new research, Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox of The University of Nottingham's Division of Primary Care, said: "We are delighted to receive another strong endorsement of the value of QRISK in assessing the risk of heart disease in the UK population.

"We believe this formula has the potential to save many thousands of lives, by helping clinicians to more accurately predict those at risk of developing cardiovascular disease - the nation's biggest killer.

"It will arm doctors with all the information they need to decide how best to target patients with preventative measures such as lifestyle advice and cholesterol-lowering treatments."

The 56 per cent of GPs in the UK who use EMIS clinical records systems can already access the QRISK2 formula - an improved version of the original algorithm - which has been embedded in their systems.

EMIS Managing Director Sean Riddell said: "We are pleased to confirm that all EMIS GPs can now benefit from QRISK2, and we would like to thank all those GPs who contributed anonymous patient data to support the development of this vital clinical tool."

Other clinical systems providers can access the new equation through a software development kit that has been designed to ensure the safe and accurate use of the formula. The QRISK algorithm is also being made available for further academic research.

Source
EMIS