New data platform OpenEP|NET targets heart rhythm disorders

The OpenEP|NET project will create a national database to enable improved management and outcomes for patients with conditions like atrial fibrillation (AF), which is the most common heart rhythm disorder. AF significantly raises the risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia, and premature death.

Cardiac electrophysiology focuses on the study and treatment of heart rhythm disorders but, despite the vast amounts of data collected during patient treatments, this information has not been systematically used to guide patient management.

As a result, cardiology, and specifically electrophysiology, lacks digital approaches for therapy guidance, with the absence of effective data handling tools a critical barrier.

The OpenEP|NET project, supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, builds on over a decade of work by Dr Steven Williams, of the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, collaborating with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College London, NHS Lothian and Imperial College London.

Dr Williams and his team previously developed OpenEP, an open data standard for managing electrophysiology data, and EP Workbench, a computer interface for visualizing and manipulating this information. Building on these two technologies, OpenEP|NET now aims to empower clinicians by developing ways to predict patient responses to treatment and identify those at risk of major cardiovascular events.

Current treatments for atrial fibrillation include ablation, which is an invasive and expensive procedure, that causes a small amount of scarring on the heart to break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeat. Prescription medication can have side effects or be ineffective. Better understanding of AF and related conditions could lead to improved treatments.