American Joint Replacement Registry can now provide more detailed data

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Orthopedic surgeons are currently submitting information on 4,000 procedures weekly to the American Joint Replacement Registry and can now provide detailed surgeon activities, according to an update on the initiative presented here at Orthopedics Today Hawaii 2016.

“Going forward, it will be able to collect patient-reported outcomes and it will be able to help us with all reporting requirements required by the federal government,” William J. Maloney, MD, said.

The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), a national total joint registry with a mission to improve arthroplasty patient care using data-driven modifications in the behavior of collaborating providers, institutions, manufacturers, payers and patients, started in 2010. Level 1 data collected include patient age and gender, hospital, surgeon, diagnosis, procedure, implant and laterality, and outcome. Level 2 data include risk factors and comorbidities, ASA scores, and operative and postoperative complications. Level 3 data include patient-reported outcomes. Level 4 data have not been introduced yet, but will include image analysis, he said.

William J. Maloney

Maloney said currently there are more than 400,000 procedures in the database, which represents a 64% increase in total procedures in 1 year. There are 465 hospitals that contribute data, which represents a 90% increase compared with the number of hospitals that contributed in 2014. The hospitals import data for an average of 4,000 procedures in 1 week, he said. Overall, 612 participating hospitals have signed contracts and the AJRR now has participating sites in all states.

Among the number of detailed surgeon activities the AJRR can now provide is the number of cases per surgeon. Maloney said the per surgeon average for primary and revision hip arthroplasty is 23.2 and 6.1, respectively. The per surgeon average for primary and revision knee arthroplasty is 39.9 and 5.9, respectively.

The first annual report of the AJRR was released in November 2014, and the group plans to release an annual report each fall. The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons also designated the AJRR as its official registry in December 2015.

Reference:

Maloney WJ. AJRR update. Presented at: Orthopedics Today Hawaii 2016; Jan. 10-14, 2016; Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Disclosure: Maloney reports he receives royalties from Stryker, Mako and Zimmer Biomet, and is on the board of directors for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.