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Unique research database to improve care for thoracic surgery patients


April 18, 2018


Dr. Andrew Seely is helping lead a national project to greatly enhance quality improvement and clinical research in thoracic surgery. This Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons Quality Improvement Program was awarded $727,900 by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The program will collect standardized data from multiple health-care institutions using software previously developed by Dr. Seely and the thoracic research team. This data will allow surgical teams to assess their own performance, as well as compare and track trends over time. The program’s aims are to identify and implement best practices through review of evidence along with surgical teams’ experience and discussions. This research platform will also help evaluate and compare different surgical techniques, and form a platform for clinical trials. The Thoracic Surgery Data Management Centre at The Ottawa Hospital will house the national database, provide software to facilitate data collection, and help coordinate activities.

Principal investigators: Andrew Seely, Christan Finley. Co-Investigators: Lorenzo Ferri, Donna Maziak, Farid Shamji, Sudhir Sundaresan, James Villeneuve, Tom Waddell.



Dr. Seely’s research is possible because of generous support for Research to Improve Patient Care at The Ottawa Hospital.

The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion


The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

Media Contact


Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca