AAOS Registry Program General Frequently Asked Questions

 

  1. What is the AAOS Registry Program?

The AAOS Registry Program’s mission is to improve orthopaedic care through the collection, analysis, and reporting of actionable data. We seek to encompass all the musculoskeletal and anatomical areas for orthopaedics through comprehensive data and technology resulting in optimal patient outcomes.

In June of 2017, the AAOS Board of Directors approved a significant multi-year investment in the AAOS Registry Program to address a variety of musculoskeletal/anatomical areas beginning with the acquisition of the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) that same year. In fact, AJRR was returning to its inception point, having originated within the Academy in 2009. The Registry Program investment was made to create a source of unique clinical information, enable performance measurement by physicians for physicians, provide support for novel scientific research production, and provide scaled delivery of registry-driven quality improvement programs.

 

  1. Why should my site join the AAOS Registry Program?

Ultimately, patients are the ones who benefit most when your organization and surgeons participate in one of our registries. Through the submission and analysis of data, it’s easy to actively utilize the knowledge gained to improve outcomes and the quality of orthopaedic care. With national benchmark data at your fingertips through the AAOS RegistryInsights® platform, you can compare your results to performance across the country, supporting highly informed decision-making and quality improvement.

 

  1. Who is eligible and how do you register for the AAOS Registry Program?

Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and private practice groups of any size can participate in the AAOS Registry Program. Surgeons can access their data if their site is participating. To get started, contact an AAOS Registry Engagement Associate at RegistryEngagement@aaos.org or (847) 292-0530. They will be able to demonstrate the AAOS RegistryInsights platform for your site via webinar.

 

  1. Can surgeons see their individual data?

Our Surgeon Dashboards provide surgeons a confidential, personalized dashboard and summarized status of their individual data so they can compare it against national benchmarks. They can use this information for required reporting to quality improvement initiatives. If you would like to provide a surgeon access to their own dashboards, please contact our Registry Engagement team at RegistryEngagement@aaos.org.

 

  1. What anatomical areas do the AAOS Registry Program cover?

We currently offer the following registries: the AJRR, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Registry (MsTR), and the Shoulder & Elbow Registry (SER). The AJRR collects hip and knee arthroplasty data, the MsTR collects orthopaedic oncology data, and the SER collects shoulder arthroplasty, rotator cuff repair, and elbow arthroplasty data. Additionally, AAOS and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) have announced the creation of the American Spine Registry (ASR), a partnership between the two organizations that collects cervical spine and lumbar spine data.

 

  1. How much does it cost to participate?

There is a fee to participate in each of our registries, and the cost varies by Registry. Please contact our Registry Engagement team at RegistryEngagement@aaos.org to discuss pricing.

 

  1. Can more than one individual at my site have access to the Registry platform?

Each site receives one Authorized User license. That individual has full access to the RegistryInsights platform. There are other roles that can be assigned to other individuals (i.e. Data Submission User, Patient-reported Outcome Measure [PROM] Site Administrator, and Surgeon User). If your site would like more than one Authorized User, please contact the AAOS Registry Engagement team at RegistryEngagement@aaos.org

 

  1. How can my Registry data be reused for other quality initiatives?

Participation has many benefits including assistance with several federal quality initiatives, insurers' distinction programs, and state collaboratives. These programs provide reimbursements and other incentives for displaying improvement in the quality of patient care, prompting medical sites to use clinical data registries to compare outcomes success. Learn more about our registry data reuse opportunities.

 

  1. How can we maximize our participation in the Registry Program?

We continually provide ongoing communications that keep you abreast of everything to do with registries, including our AAOS Registry Program Blog, AAOS Registry Insider monthly e-newsletter, and complimentary webinars. We also have the AAOS Registry Program User Group Network (Unet). Additionally, we can provide you with a Registry participation logo that you can use to communicate your commitment to quality through registries. For more information on this, please contact RegistryInfo@aaos.org.

 

  1. Can my company sponsor a Registry?

There are many opportunities for industry and other companies to support our efforts and utilize the data within the registries. Contact our team here to learn more about what data we capture and how your support can help us grow.