Endocor: a nationwide consortium of endocarditis teams-initiating a registry for infective endocarditis within the Netherlands Heart Registration

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite advancements in diagnostics and treatment strategies, infective endocarditis continues to carry a substantial morbidity and mortality risk. In addition, the field of infective endocarditis contains many gaps in evidence, as international guidelines are predominantly based on low-level evidence. To improve infective endocarditis care and survival rates in the Netherlands, adequate evaluation of diagnostics, treatment strategies and outcomes is essential. METHODS: To address this need, a new infective endocarditis registry has been developed by the multidisciplinary ENDOCOR working group with the aim of facilitating nationwide quality control, improving infective endocarditis patient care, and contributing to the numerous gaps in evidence. To optimize data collection, facilitated by the Netherlands Heart Registration (NHR), a pilot project was launched in January 2023 across three selected hospitals. RESULTS: The findings from the first 150 registered patients were presented to highlight the registry's potential. Following the pilot, many more centres have initiated data collection, demonstrating national engagement and scalability of the initiative. CONCLUSION: This article outlines the purpose of ENDOCOR, presents initial pilot data and illustrates the potential of the new national infective endocarditis registry to enhance patient care and support future research.