From policy makers to payers to hospital administrators, all stakeholders within healthcare are utilizing data to understand the outcomes of medical providers in the system. AAPM&R’s Registry will collect high-quality, clinician and patient data across independent physician practices and larger institutions for use in generating insights to inform best practices, guide pioneering research, and improve patient care. AAPM&R is focused on gathering data for the specialty, so that, in turn, we can use the data to conduct research and emphasize the value of PM&R.
In 2019, the infrastructure and technical enhancements were the priorities for AAPM&R’s Registry. The Registry Steering Committee is prioritizing good data in, good data out by launching two early-adopter programs centered on Ischemic Stroke and Low-back Pain, two clinical areas that most physiatrists treat. We are identifying early-adopter sites to help us test the infrastructure. Data collected from the initial early adopters will then be used to conduct analysis to shape and define the work of physiatry, and to expand data collection efforts to other clinical areas in the future.
AAPM&R’s Registry is structured to capture all patients seen by a participating clinician. Follow-up data will only be captured from those that meet specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. By collecting cross-cutting data, our participants will be able to tell the full story of their patients’ care.
The long-term vision for AAPM&R’s Registry is to allow for a wealth of data to understand the comparative effectiveness of various interventions, both within the purview of rehabilitation and as compared to other possible approaches. By tracking large populations, further insights will be obtained to help physicians guide the treatment for an individual patient. In using a physiatry-owned registry, physiatrists will learn from each other what treatments are ideal and result in the best outcomes. It is also possible that AAPM&R’s Registry will provide opportunities for new and more innovative methodologies for research never before possible.
Early-adopter site journeys in AAPM&R’s Registry will be documented and shared via Academy communication channels, such as The Physiatrist, AAPM&R’s website, and Connection. Learn more at www.aapmr.org/registry.