TY - JOUR AU - Agzarian, John AU - Shargall, Yaron PY - 2018 TI - Beyond borders—international database collaboration in thoracic surgery JF - Journal of Thoracic Disease; Vol 10, Supplement 29 (October 23, 2018): Journal of Thoracic Disease (Management of Database) Y2 - 2018 KW - N2 - Thoracic surgery databases continue to emerge as pillars for institutional quality improvement and research endeavors. This paper reviews the current state of the largest thoracic surgery databases: the Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database (STS-GTSD) and the European Society of Thoracic Surgery Database (ESTSD). In addition, we utilize these as a platform to evaluate the role and key ingredients for successful international database collaborations. Ultimately, collaborative efforts among large databases unify research efforts, foster cohesion, serve as benchmarks for quality improvement locally, nationally and internationally, promote comparative innovation, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. UR - https://jtd.amegroups.org/article/view/21108