Introduction: The West Moreton region of Queensland covers an area of 7,970 km' west of Brisbane, with a population of approximately 160,000. The standardised mortality ratios in West Moreton region are significantly increased for ischaemic heart disease (IHD), accounting for 30.4% of all deaths in 1986-92, compared to 27.5% for the state as a whole, representing an annual excess of 44 deaths per year. The excess morbidity is unable to be ascertained, but is probably even more sicgnificant. Over 85% of residents of West Moreton region requiring hospital treatment for IHD present to one of the two major hospitals in the region.

Objective: The purpose of this project is to create a seamless multi-sectoral model of care, rehabilitation and secondary prevention for patients with IHD in West Moreton region.

Methods: A Cardiovascular Outcomes Council was established to draw together services who could impact on improving the outcomes for people who have experienced a cardiac event and to identify barriers preventing this process. The council consists of representatives from Population Health, Community and Rural Health Services, the participating hospitals and the Division of General Practice.

Results: One the major barriers identified was the lack of cardiac outcomes data. A cardiac outcomes register was established to collect preadmission, inpatient management and rehabilitation data including risk factors and quality of life indices.

Discussion: Following the establishment of the cardiac outcomes register information is becoming available to enable measurement and evaluation of outcomes of clinical care, rehabilitation, changes in quality of life indices and risk factor profiles resulting from different interventions.