Requests for Access to Data

The National adult Cardiac Surgical Database was established to provide a resource for members of the Society.

An application process for access to data has now been standardized to make the resources of the National Adult Cardiac Surgical Database available to a wide spectrum of applicants. Applications for data will be processed by the Co-ordinator of the database on behalf of the Executive Committee of the Society.

PROCESS

There are three routes available for obtaining information from the Database. These are based upon:

a.      -The scientific nature and breadth of the request

b.      -The quantity of resources (National Database, statistical and professional) necessary to fulfill the request

c.       -The source of the request for data

d.      -The intended use of the requested information.

These three approaches are outlined below. Contributors to the database are eligible for the Funded or Non-Funded Minor and Major Access approaches. Non-member participants, Industry and Government Organizations are eligible for the Non-Funded Minor or Major Access approaches.

1.                    Open and print out the Request for Access (RFA) form from this website. Please read the application form carefully. Given the scope of your project and the resources available at your institution, decide if a Minor Access or a Major Access approach is most appropriate for your project. (IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS NOT REQUESTED ON THESE FORMS THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE BENEFICAL TO THE REVIEW PROCESS PLEASE DO SO)

2.                  Completed applications should be submitted as a Microsoft Word attachment to an e-mail message to b.e.Keogh@bham.ac.uk with a copy to sctsadmin@scts.org

3.                  The completed submission will undergo a rapid initial review by the database co-ordinator who will initially ask some specific questions:

a.       Is the data in the database of sufficient quality to answer the question posed in the application?

b.      Is anyone else already working on this project

4.                  If the data within the database is of sufficient quality and no one else is working on the same data then the application will be sent for independent, expert review to two reviewers. The reviewers will be asked to comment on whether the proposal is scientifically sound.

5.                  Following favourable reviews data will be provided in an appropriate format by the database co-ordinator. Approved applications will be fully supported in achievement of the goals outlined in the proposal.

6.                  The anticipated time from submission to notification of decision will be one month

7.                  The Co-ordinator will provide an estimate of analytical / statistical effort required for approved requests

8.                  Approved requests will prioritised and RFA Status and evaluation feedback is supplied to the requestor, including anticipated time-lines for approved request completion

9.                  Analysis will be conducted by the co-ordinator or Dendrite Clinical Systems according to the nature of analysis

10.              Successful proposals will be published on the SCTS website to avoid duplicate applications.

PUBLICATION POLICY

All publications based on data from the National Adult Cardiac Surgical Database must be reviewed by the database co-ordinator and if appropriate the original reviewers prior to submission for publication. The authorship will include the co-ordinator of the database “on behalf of the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland”. If additional significant input is required by other personnel on behalf of the Society then their name(s) will also be included.

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