Annual Report 2004 (PDF)
The OPALS Cardiac Arrest Database (OCAD) is the world's largest multicenter cardiac arrest database. It is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), the Upper Tier Municipalities (UTMs), 12 Base Hospitals and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. The MOHLTC has given permission for the base hospitals to continue participating in the collection of this data. Medtronic-Physio Control provides funding for this initiative. The database serves as an independent source of cardiac arrest information that provides accessible, unbiased data to the stakeholders. It serves administrative, quality assurance and research needs of those who provide prehospital care.
The OPALS Cardiac Arrest Database (OCAD) builds upon the groundbreaking and world class data collection and reporting work conducted since 1994 by the OPALS Study Collaboration. In the past, the OPALS group collected and reported on data from 10,000 cardiac arrests. The research findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004.
Data collection continues to be conducted by 12 Base Hospitals and the Ottawa Data Collection Centre. All Ambulance Call Reports (ACRs) and Ambulance Response Information System (ARIS) dispatch information is housed in the database. The data is managed and analyzed by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI).
The OCAD Steering Committee is responsible for the governance of this database and provides intellectual leadership, makes decisions and facilitates communication among the stakeholders. The Steering Committee is chaired by Dr. Ian Stiell and meets quarterly, or more frequently as required.
This prehospital data collection, reporting and analysis is unprecedented worldwide and has gained international recognition for operational and research excellence.
Tammy Beaudoin
Research Assistant
(613) 798-5555 ext.12682
tbeaudoin@ohri.ca