Members of the Committee, Dr. Werner Klein (Universitätsklinik Graz), Primarius Doz. Dr. Franz Leisch (Allgemeines Krankenhaus Linz), Prof. Dr. Johannes Mlczoch (Krankenhaus Wien-Lainz), Prof. Dr. Volker Mühlberger (Universitätsklinik Innsbruck) and Prof. Dr. Peter Probst (Universitätsklinik Wien) have been visiting all the Austrian Heart Catheterization Laboratories every year since 1990. Within 4-5 years each member of the committee has visited each Austrian center. Audit by monitor visit follows a strict scheme: the last year data first are filled into a questionnaire, at the same time completeness, credibility and accuracy are checked. Truthfulness of the submitted data is checked for example by looking into the existing log-books (like registries in a surgical operating theatre) and by talking to the whole operating team in the catheterization laboratories.

Random testing is performed at the same time of the audit by the members of AC-TELEMON looking to certain case records or even to the analysis of deceased patient records.

Necessity and appropriateness of invasive and interventional cardiology in Europe, claimed by the European Society of Cardiology, is the reason for the work of the members of AC-TELEMON. On the other hand side, all the data, in an aggregated and anonymous way are forwarded to further statistical analysis to the European Society.

This mature system of audit with yearly returning and complete monitor visits in every Austrian Heart Catheterization Laboratory is completed by electronic data transmission of the former paper questionnaires. Gerhard Raudaschl and Dr. Wolfgang Schoner of the Innsbruck University accompany all the data from the monitor visit unto the anonymized and exact statistical work off and analysis.

Target of the AC-TELEMON of the Working Group Interventional Cardiology of the Austrian Society of Cardiology is - including scientific development of the program - to improve risk-adjusted, cost-effective outcome quality, to publish theses results and to help to supply our population appropriate.