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The launch of the American Spine Registry (ASR) by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) will transform the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) Spine registry – currently the nation’s largest spine registry – into a more far-reaching program that facilitates the participation of all North American spine surgeons in a shared, quality data-collection platform.

The ASR will leverage the unique data science capabilities of the AANS with the operational expertise of the AAOS Registry Program, allowing both organizations to enhance the scalability, sustainability, ease-of-use, and relevance of national spine data collection efforts. Intelligent data use will also be facilitated by engaging multiple healthcare stakeholders in the joint initiative, helping them improve patient care, advance the science of spine surgery, and address the challenges of an evolving, value-based care delivery system.

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The shared vision for the ASR is to:

• Utilize data to inform the AANS and the AAOS care guidelines and to establish benchmarks to test clinical performance and the validity of various quality measures, which are efforts critical to a value-based health care system.
• Provide feedback to providers that allows them to continuously improve their practice and outcomes using methods applicable to all practice settings.
• Reduce data reporting burdens on physicians and allow re-use of data for regulatory requirements and continuous quality improvement programs.
• Help inform gaps in knowledge and define areas for further education and research.

With spine surgery being performed by neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons, the development of a common data platform will fuel the creation of a consistent, reliable quality information source for all major stakeholders, including physicians, patients, payors, regulatory groups and industry.

“I’m optimistic this partnership will serve as a model for a more responsible and meaningful data collection standard going forward,” said Anthony Asher, MD, FAANS, FACS, neurosurgeon at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates and co-chair of the ASR.

“I’m also hopeful that as other medical organizations observe this collaboration, they’ll be similarly inspired to gather and apply essential information in cooperative settings. Our collective transition to higher quality, increasingly sustainable care delivery would, unquestionably, be facilitated by greater cross-specialty and cross-disciplinary data sharing.”

Current QOD sites will experience a smooth transition to the American Spine Registry. More information on the launch of ASR and enrollment for future participants will be available soon.