The EUROCISS Project (European Cardiovascular Indicators Surveillance Set) was set up in 2000 by a partnership of European Union (EU) countries to develop health indicators and recommendations for monitoring the burden and distribution of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Project was financed by the European Commission within the Health Monitoring Programme (HMP).

 

Health indicators describe the health status of a community and typically include measures of mortality, morbidity and disability; they also include determinants of health (biological, behavioural and socio-demographic risk factors) and health service indicators (use of health services, medication use, surgical procedures). Health indicators are then essential to quantify the burden of diseases.

In Europe, CVD has been identified as one of the leading causes of mortality, morbidity and disability.

Therefore, the aims of the EUROCISS project were:

• to define indicators for monitoring CVD
• to recommend standardized methods for collecting indicators in EU countries
• to prepare manuals of operations describing in detail procedures and methods for easy implementation of population-based registers and CVD surveys.

The achievement of these aims facilitates cross-country comparisons and assists efforts to improve the prevention and control of CVD.