Lessons learned from hemolytic uremic syndrome registries: recommendations for implementation

Guidance to develop a multidisciplinary, international, pediatric registry: a systematic review

AIM

The European Reference Network for craniofacial anomalies and ear, nose and throat disorders (ERN-CRANIO) aims to improve craniofacial care on a European scale. Within ERN-CRANIO, the cleft lip and palate (CL/P) work stream seeks to ameliorate health outcomes for patients with CL/P. This work stream acknowledged the need for a European wide registry for comparable outcome measures and therapy endpoints to achieve this goal. This review aimed to provide a scientific basis for the conceptualization of this registry by studying previous registry initiatives.

METHODS

This review performed thematic analysis on twenty-four articles through narrative synthesis. An iterative process was used to identify key-themes required for prolonged registry success.

RESULTS

Analysis of the literature resulted in twenty-one distinct headings including quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data including registry characteristics were visualized in a table. The analysis of qualitative data resulted in the identification of fourteen key-themes, which have been summarized and visualized in a guidance.

CONCLUSION

This review has successfully identified key-themes required for the development of an international, multidisciplinary, pediatric registry for pan-European cleft care. The guidance provided by this review applies to the goals of ERN-CRANIO, but can be used by any initiative developing a registry.

Development and pilot implementation of Iranian Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry

Background

Patients with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) face late diagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment because of a lack of knowledge and experience in this field. A prerequisite for such knowledge is the development of research infrastructures such as a registry system. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and describe the HUS registry in accordance with the Iranian health system and implement its software system.

Methods

We first interviewed 10 pediatric nephrologists and after analyzing the interviews, we identified the features and requirements and the data related to HUS. Then, during two rounds of the Delphi technique (the first round with 23 participants and the second round with 18 participants), the model of this registry was finalized based on the agreement of at least 75% of specialists. At the next step, based on the agreed requirements, IRI.HUS.Reg (Iranian Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry) software was developed and implemented in a pediatric hospital.

Results

We classified 369 meaning units of interviews in 41 codes and 7 final themes including purposes of the registry (10 codes), inclusion criteria (7 codes), data collection method (4 codes), data quality control (6 codes), data sources (4 codes), data analysis (3 codes) and software features (7 codes). These 7 feature groups (67 subgroups) and 12 data classes (138 data elements) include demographic data, referrals, examinations, clinical signs, causes, laboratory tests, medical histories, paraclinical measures, treatments, outcomes, patient’s status at discharge, and follow-up data were reviewed by the Delphi panelists, and finally, 64 features and 131 data elements were accepted by at least 78% agreement. Then, we developed and implemented a registry software system in a hospital.

Conclusion

We implemented IRI.HUS.Reg based on related features, 12 data classes agreed by specialists, literature review, and comparison with other existing registries. Therefore, the data collected in this registry can be compared with other data from existing registries in other countries.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13023-022-02376-9.

Baseline characteristics and evolution of Brazilian patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome: first report of The Brazilian aHUS Registry

Background

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is an ultra-rare disease. Therefore, studies involving large samples are scarce, making registries powerful tools to evaluate cases. We present herein the first analysis of the Brazilian aHUS Registry (BRaHUS).

Methods

Analysis of clinical, laboratory, genetic and treatment data from patients inserted in the BRaHUS, from 2017 to 2020, as an initiative of the Rare Diseases Committee of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology.

Results

The cohort consisted of 75 patients (40 adults and 35 pediatric). There was a predominance of women (56%), median age at diagnosis of 20.7 years and a positive family history in 8% of cases. Renal involvement was observed in all cases and 37% had low C3 levels. In the <2 years of age group, males were predominant. Children presented lower levels of hemoglobin (P = .01) and platelets (P = .003), and higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = .004) than adults. Genetic analysis performed in 44% of patients revealed pathogenic variants in 66.6% of them, mainly in CFH and the CFHR1-3 deletion. Plasmapheresis was performed more often in adults (P = .005) and 97.3% of patients were treated with eculizumab and its earlier administration was associated with dialysis-free after 3 months (P = .08).

Conclusions

The cohort of BRaHUS was predominantly composed of female young adults, with renal involvement in all cases. Pediatric patients had lower hemoglobin and platelet levels and higher LDH levels than adults, and the most common genetic variants were identified in CFH and the CFHR1-3 deletion with no preference of age, a peculiar pattern of Brazilian patients.

The Quality Evaluation of Rare Disease Registries-An Assessment of the Essential Features of a Disease Registry

Rare disease (RD) registries aim to promote data collection and sharing, and facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration with the overall aim of improving patient care. Recommendations relating to the minimum standards necessary to develop and maintain high quality registries are essential to ensure high quality data and sustainability of registries. The aim of this international study was to survey RD registry leaders to ascertain the level of consensus amongst the RD community regarding the quality criteria that should be considered essential features of a disease registry. Of 35 respondents representing 40 RD registries, over 95% indicated that essential quality criteria should include establishment of a good governance system (ethics approval, registry management team, standard operating protocol and long-term sustainability plan), data quality (personnel responsible for data entry and procedures for checking data quality) and construction of an IT infrastructure complying with Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) principles to maintain registries of high quality, with procedures for authorized user access, erasing personal data, data breach procedures and a web interface. Of the 22 registries that performed a self-assessment, over 80% stated that their registry had a leader, project management group, steering committee, active funding stream, website, and user access policies. This survey has acceptability amongst the RD community for the self-quality evaluation of RD registries with high levels of consensus for the proposed quality criteria.