A National Registry to Improve the Quality of Care for Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Diabetes: Protocol for the China Diabetes Cardiovascular (CDCV) Project

Evidence-based treatment strategies for patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes have been updated in recent years. However, substantial gaps remain between guideline recommendations and clinical practice, which justify the urgent need to improve the quality of care for patients with these conditions. The Chinese Society of Cardiology and the Chinese Society of Diabetes, in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, designed the China Diabetes Cardiovascular project. The China Diabetes Cardiovascular project is a nationwide registry study aimed at improving the quality of care for patients with acute coronary syndrome and diabetes in China. Launched in 2021, this project has enrolled 36 hospitals across mainland China. Patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of comorbid acute coronary syndrome and diabetes will be eligible to participate. Pre-defined performance measures will be adopted to evaluate the quality of care for these patients. Multiple quality improvement strategies will be adopted, including providing monthly quality reports based on these measures, conducting a series of training courses, and distributing educational materials. A comprehensive dataset, encompassing patients’ characteristics, medical history, treatment before and during the current hospitalization, and discharge medications for secondary prevention, will be collected through a web-based data collection platform. This project has the potential to improve the quality of care and reduce the care disparities in the management of patients with these diseases. Moreover, with its comprehensive data collection, this project will provide a strong foundation for exploring key clinical questions.