NCDR Update | Since its inception, the ACC’s annual conference for NCDR registry participants has focused on a wide range of registry-related topics such as data accuracy and quality, relevant healthcare trends, and the application of registry data for quality improvement; but, in recent years, the curriculum has expanded to include physicians and administrators. Held March 12 – 13, NCDR.15 was an opportunity for physicians and administrators involved in ACC registries to further their knowledge about the use of data for quality improvement.

More than 1,200 registry professionals, quality experts, cardiovascular administrators and physicians from across the country gathered for 2 days of forward-thinking quality improvement discussions, networking and the sharing of best practices.

“NCDR.15 is a powerful learning network for not only attendees, but also for ACC staff and physician leaders,” said Kathleen Hewitt, RN, MSN, CPHQ, associate vice president for the NCDR. “The philosophy for this meeting is to exchange ideas and information to increase everyone’s knowledge and wisdom.”

Building on 2 years of success with targeted workshops for physicians and cardiovascular administrators, NCDR.15 featured even more sessions with special emphasis placed on preparing physicians and administrators to take a more active role in their clinical registry programs—and, in turn, in their quality improvement efforts. Attendees gained a better understanding of how to use NCDR data to meet regulatory reporting requirements, conduct quality improvement and obtain Maintenance of Certification Part IV points for physicians.

The conference opened with a keynote presentation from John Spertus, MD, MPH, on engaging physicians in quality improvement. Additional general sessions included a presentation on managing data quality and the closing session, “No Reservations – Disruptive Innovation,” delivered by Harlan Krumholz, MD, SM.

“Of all the meetings I’ve seen, none surpasses this one for the energy and enthusiasm of the audience. This meeting is a jewel for the ACC,” said Krumholz. “Kudos to those involved with their NCDR data for all that they are accomplishing.”

Throughout both days, concurrent workshops provided registry-specific education on difficult data elements, metrics, quality improvement efforts and more. Workshops for each registry included deep dives into expanded uses for data and interpreting outcome reports, while physician and administrator-focused breakout sessions covered topics such as engaging fellow physicians and administrators, optimizing data quality, implementing quality improvement and the future of clinical registries and electronic health records.

“This year’s NCDR Annual Conference focused on advancing meaningful performance improvement,” said John S. Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, chief science officer of the NCDR. “By focusing on topics that help entire registry teams drive forward with their data, it is our hope that physicians, administrators and registry professionals left the conference with a better understanding of their data and a plan for working together to achieve their quality goals.”

Keywords: CardioSource WorldNews Interventions, ACC Publications, Electronic Health Records, Quality Improvement, Registries, National Cardiovascular Data Registries

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