Upcoming Important Dates

• Friday, Jan 21st:        End of quarter - please ensure that all forms are sent to Project Office
• Friday, Feb 18th :      DCF deadline - please fax them to us to ensure entry into the data set
• Monday, Mar 14th :    Mailout to centres - let us know if you require any supplies

Final Scan for 2010 data  [Released January 10, 2011]

The final scan date for all 2010 data is Friday January 21, 2011.  All forms received by the Project Office by this date will be included in the quarterly and annual reports for 2010. The Data Clarification Forms (DCFs) will be sent out in mid February.

We're Getting Greener!   [Released March 18, 2010]

We recycle! We have reduced! Now we would like to work with you to reuse. Each quarter we send out a CD-R with your centre’s entire data set on it. These are re-writeable CDs with more than 700MB of space available to use.  Despite how long some centres have been participating, the data sets we send out each quarter are nowhere near this large! Should you want to return your older data discs (and not have piles of them in your office), please feel free to drop one into each envelope of forms each week. The forms will act as padding for the CD’s return trip and we can then reuse the disc for your future data sets. We always label our data sets with the date of generation, so there will be no confusion as to which one is the most recent.

New Manuals Posted   [Released March 3, 2009]

The Macstrak form was designed to allow hospitals to track treatments or events specific to each unit by using the Optional Groups and Optional Fields. New manuals have been posted to help your unit decide how to collect the data you need. Click on the link to the Resources page to access your unit's manual.

Resources   [Released November 3, 2008]

Check out the new Resources page.  It has been completely revamped with the end use in mind!  We've added more presenations and a new section called "Links" that will connect you to sites like the ACC and current TACO guidelines. 

AHA and Prehospital ECGs   [Released August 25, 2008]

Macstrak started tracking EMS information, including EMS arrival times and ECG information, over three years ago in recognition of the important part that EMS plays as the first medical contact with ACS patients. The AHA has recently published a statement on integrating prehospital ECGs into care for ACS patients. The author states that, "First medical contact with a patient is usually with the EMS, and that is the next phase of coordination that we need to reach out to." The scientific statement can be found in the AHA Journal, Circulation.

Teaching Presentations Available!   [Released June 24, 2008]

As the teaching presentations given at past Macstrak Regional Meetings have been requested by many of our centres, we have made them available online. The newest addition to our Resources section includes PowerPoint slide shows that can be used at your centre as teaching tools to educate your staff, helping with Macstrak form completion but also providing a good review of medical knowledge.  Our most frequently requested presentation? The ECG workshop.

Medication List   [Released June 3, 2008]

Many of our centres have been asking for it and now we've posted it! Go to our Resources section to view our two-page list of frequently used cardiac medications. Divided by drug class, the list includes both brand and generic names. This is the same medication list that is available in your Macstrak Manual.

Revised ACC UA/NonSTEMI Guidelines   [Released Nov 26, 2007]

The winter issue of Macstrak Quarterly (Vol.14 Iss.4) gives an overview of the new guidelines relative to the current practice in Macstrak hospitals.  As mentioned in the newsletter, you can link to the ACC site to view a list of all the general statements, or click on the following links to view the ACC's UA/NSTEMI executive summary, or pocket guidelines.

Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure   [Released Oct 22, 2007]

The fall issue of Macstrak Quarterly (Vol.14 Iss.3) discussed the management of CHF patients using Macstrak data.  The Canadian Cardiovascular Society consensus conference published new recommendations in 2006. Use the data collected in your CHF reports to asses your centre's standard of care. Click to access the newsletter or to link to the CCS guidelines.

New Reperfusion Therapy Time Report  [Released May 16, 2007]

The Thrombolysis, Primary PCI and Rescue PCI Time Reports have all been consolidated into one report. This new report will make it easier to graph comparisons between these reperfusion strategies. For more detailed information on the report, go to your MacsFlirt Help menu and type in the report name. A description of the patient selection criteria, column and row definitions are given.

Case Studies Available Online! [Released Dec 9, 2006]
Revised case studies are now available for all three phases.  Just click on the Resources link and you will be able to download the PowerPoint case studies.  These are a good way to train new staff or as a refresher course to review the recent form updates.  Check back often as more cases are being posted.  Please contact us if you have a case study that you think might be of interest to others.