AAOS Registry Program Blog

AJRR Unet Value Equation: Benchmarks, Shared Experience, Best Practice

Mar 22, 2018 8:42:27 AM

Kevin Fleming's presentation at the 2018 In-person Unet Meeting

Plus Highlights From the Annual In-person Unet Meeting

In 2017, and again in 2018, the AJRR User Group Network (Unet) more than doubled its registered members over the prior year*. Since its inception, the Unet value equation has been defined by benchmarking, shared experience, and best practice learning opportunities. Quarterly calls/webinars and the annual in-person meeting help forge collaborative user relationships and provide exposure to guest experts in the registry field. For real-time answers to immediate challenges, participation in the Unet Forum is available. Speak with someone who has already been there, and done that! Find minutes and slides from previous Unet calls and in-person meetings in the Unet Forum. Engagement is free and the rapidly growing number of registrants speaks to the value Unet delivers.

*February 2016, February 2017, February 2018

 

On the Agenda at the Unet Annual Meeting: 

The 2018 AJRR Collection Model Will Include a Full Range of Level II Data

AJRR Senior Registry Analyst September Cahue, MPHPresented by AJRR Senior Registry Analyst September Cahue, MPH

By the second quarter of 2018, AJRR will provide updated data specifications with a finalized Post-Operative Complications Layout. Overall, AJRR will collect three levels of data, and report risk-adjusted longitudinal data and benchmarking accordingly. The goal of AJRR benchmarking is to incorporate Level II risk-adjusted data to enable Registry participants to accurately benchmark their outcomes and costs against the country, a region, the participant's historical performance, or other desired reference groups. Thanks to risk adjustment, the data will not harshly penalize surgeons for poor surgical outcomes when they operate on increasingly unhealthy patients.

 

Read more about the AJRR Collection Model including Where We Are and Where We Are Going.

 

Continuously Improving the AJRR Participant Experience

Presented by AJRR Steering Committee Chair Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBAAJRR Steering Committee Chair Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA

Dr. Bozic provided the Unet audience with an update on plans for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) family of registries with AJRR as the cornerstone of that effort. AJRR, in a relatively short period of time, has become the largest hip and knee registry in the world.

Dr. Bozic then discussed several other strategic updates including:

  • Application approval by ResDAC for Medicare claims data which would be introduced into the Registry. The application has now been sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for final approval.
  • Expanding outcomes reporting and collecting more Level II comorbidities and complications and Level III patient-reported outcome (PRO) data.
  • Working with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) to get Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit for AJRR participants.
  • Exploring legislative opportunities to encourage registry participation without added provider burden, including federal quality initiatives.

This was followed by an open Q & A session with attendees. View Dr. Bozic's presentation in the Unet Forum.

 

Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) User Case Study

Presented by Kevin Fleming, VP, Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Institute, and Paul Duwelius, MD

Providence St. Joseph Health LogoWhy does PSJH believe that AJRR is a great partner? "Because the Registry matters to PSJH surgeon partners and they use it in their practice improvement efforts. The Registry allows PSJH to manage and use our own data, without needing to create and support our own internal tools. We value taking part in AJRR User Groups and other forums that keep us in the forefront of Registry evolution. Finally, the Registry supports our collaborative research efforts," Kevin Fleming stated in the recent Providence presentation at Unet's Annual In-person Meeting. View the PSJH presentation in the Unet Forum.

An expanded case study that incorporates elements of PSJH's March 7th User Case Study Presentation, will further include information on collaborative research efforts that focus on PSJH 1) dual mobility cup utilization and indications, 2) "bundle busters" and 3) robotic versus non-robotic procedures. The expanded case study will be available from AJRR in May 2018. Request a copy in advance here

 

Epic Data Submission Technology UpdateEpic Logo

Many of AJRR's participants use a third-party electronic health record (EHR) vendor to submit data to the Registry, as hospitals/clinical institutions do not always have the resources to do so. One of the most prominent EHR vendors is Epic. Epic representatives addressed questions from the Unet audience regarding the Epic Bones Module and Epic's PRO capabilities. A PRO system is built into Epic.

 

 

 

 

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Topics: Annual Meetings

A Message for Our Readers

This blog was created by the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), part of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' (AAOS) registries portfolio. The blog is part of our commitment to improve orthopaedic care through the collection, analysis, and reporting of actionable hip and knee arthroplasty data. Our purpose is to communicate with others in the orthopaedic field who share the same commitment. Watch for weekly news alerts, quick tips, actionable checklists, best practices, and research findings posted to this blog. It will be information you can use each week!

The more interactive you are, the greater the value shared. Visit us at www.AJRR.net or speak with a Business Development Representative at 847-292-0530.

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This Week's Blog

  • Thursday, March 22, 2018 – AJRR Unet Value Equation: Benchmarks, Shared Experience, Best Practice

 

This Week’s References

AJRR User Group Network (Unet)

Unet strives to create an environment within the orthopaedic community that fosters conversation about best practices and learning ways to improve hip and knee replacement Registry implementation within AJRR participating institutions. With more than 1,000 participants (hospitals, health systems, surgery centers, and private practice groups), Registry users seek solutions to their unique challenges from their peers. If you are involved in the implementation and management of any aspect of the Registry in your institution, register for the next quarterly call/webinar here.

Unet Highlights at AAOS 2018 Annual Meeting 

Highlights covered in this week's blog include an update on new Level II Data Specifications presented by AJRR Senior Registry Analyst September Cahue, MPH. AJRR Steering Committee Chair Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, followed with comments on continuously improving the AJRR participant experience. A Providence St. Joseph Health user case study presented by Kevin Fleming, VP, Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Institute, and Paul Duwelius, MD, concluded the program.

AJRR Unet Forum

To activate engagement and communication with other Registry users in real time, register by creating an AJRR Unet Forum account here. You can ask questions of other users, provide insight, share best practices, and learn more about utilizing your Registry participation to the fullest. What better opportunity than to discuss a challenge with someone who's already been there, and done that. Find minutes and slides from previous Unet calls and in-person meetings in the Unet Forum.

 

 

AJRR RegistryInsights™

As a health care provider of orthopaedic services, you can access information about joining AJRR and RegistryInsights by visiting www.ajrr.net or speaking with a Business Development Representative at (847) 292-0530.  New Call-to-action

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AJRR Staff Writers

AJRR Blog posts are researched and created by AJRR staff writers: Karen Metropulos, Erik Michalesko, and Lori Boukas. If you would like to contact the writing staff, email us at RegistryInfo@aaos.org

Disclaimer

This blog shares health care information from a variety of independent expert sources. Some sources offer opinions that may be of interest to other professionals facing similar challenges. Our approach helps ensure diverse, well-rounded presentation of important, often complex health care content. Shared content does not necessarily represent AJRR or AAOS findings and practices.