This project is concerned with cardiac care, from the prevention of illness to treatment follow-up. Six major European cardiological clinics will use an integrated telematics workstation for data collection and diagnostic and therapeutic support. More comprehensively and consistently recorded data from patients will be combined in multimedia patient records, with subsequent establishment of a reference data set. The project will enable clinics to exploit the same data for patient care, care quality assessment, management and planning and medical research.

The project I4C will be carried out for the further advancement of cardiac care, in principle stretching from prevention to follow-up. I4C will concentrate on clinical applications whereas for extensions to primary care use will be made of the results of other projects within the 4th Framework Programme (especially those of COCO).

The goals of I4C will be reached by:

1. integrated access to data, wherever they are stored;

2. support of evidence-based care by remote electronic consultation and peer review.

3. more comprehensive and more consistent recording of patient data, images, videos, and biosignals, combined in a multimedia patient record;

4. [the establishment of a Reference Data Set, to be realised in the extension of I4C.]

These goals will be achieved by implementing in several institutions a multimedia-based cardiological workstation that includes a multi-media patient record. Industry will be involved to ensure continuation and support of I4C.