Minneapolis-based Medtronic and St. Louis-based Mercy are partnering to create a data sharing and analysis network that will gather clinical evidence for medical device innovation.
Under the agreement, Medtronic will work with Mercy Technology Services — the health system's IT arm — to co-develop a method to assess patient data gathered during routine care to gain insights on medical device safety and outcomes.
Initially, the data network will capture de-identified data on about 80,000 patients suffering from heart failure. Researchers will use the data to determine how a patient responds to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, a treatment option designed to help the lower chambers of the heart beat together.
"This has the potential to improve patient care by using advanced data analytics," said Joseph Drozda Jr., MD, Mercy's director of outcomes research. "Heart failure is a complex, progressive condition. To more effectively treat patients, we need a better understanding of how they are responding to treatment and what leads to better health. This model will lead to evidence-based insights for our clinical teams and better health for our patients."