Explore the latest Registry Program news and stay informed on upcoming enhancements, office hours, webinars, and more. 

 

AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting
March 10-14, San Diego, California
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Modernized Registry Data Submission Platform

Deployment Date: Ongoing

We are upgrading the AAOS Registry platform infrastructure to modernize data ingestion and analysis, making it easier than ever to submit and utilize your data. The enhancements will improve the data submission process with two key initiatives:

• The implementation of a streamlined data submission platform that will process your data more efficiently and effectively, resulting in higher success rates of submitted data and less manual oversight from participants.
• The launch of the 2025 data specifications, which include:
  • A new Master Data Dictionary that consolidates all module dictionary and specifications to facilitate data consistency and ease of use.
  • A Minimum Data Set (MDS) that allows sites to participate on different levels determined by the completeness of submitted data. The MDS will ensure that all required elements are being collected for meaningful quality improvement.

The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) and Musculoskeletal Tumor Registry (MsTR) will migrate to the new platform in mid-2025. The American Spine Registry (ASR), Fracture and Trauma (FTR), and Shoulder and Elbow Registry (SER) will follow in late 2025. The Master Data Dictionaries will be available ahead of each migration.

It is recommended that participating sites begin planning for transitioning to the new data specifications. All legacy data specifications will be accepted through June 2026.

View frequently asked questions and a more comprehensive release timeline here.

 

SER Next-generation Dashboards

Deployment Date: December 2024

The next generation of SER dashboards has launched. The new dashboards improve:

• Aesthetics and usability
  • Navigation tabs are now available at the top of the page for easier access
    • Toggle between tabs to follow the episode of care
  • Removed “National-Level” tabs for each episode of care
    • Integrated into Authorized User and Surgeon Authorized User dashboards for ease and efficiency
• Access to data
  • Data drill downs are available with a right click for graphs displaying rates to show record-level data submitted by the site
  • New tables to the left of graphs were added to show numerators of each procedure or diagnosis type
• Improved accuracy
  • Updated calculations and measures for precise reporting
  • Standardized Metrics: Seamless comparison of national and institutional data for better insights
• Benchmarking, trends, and analysis
  • Five new filters were added
    • Institution Type: Allows filtering data based on the type of institution (e.g., Academic, Community, or Specialty)
    • Bed Count: Enables users to filter by institution size using the total number of hospital beds
    • Teaching Status: Provides the ability to filter by whether an institution is designated as a teaching hospital
    • Race: Adds functionality to filter data based on patient race categories for more detailed demographic analysis
    • Payer Status: Allows filtering based on insurance or payer types (e.g., Private, Medicare, Medicaid, or Self-Pay)
  • Institution type characteristics were acquired from the AHA Survey Database

Removal of Rotator Cuff Repair Revision Visual in SER

Deployment Date: December 2024

The “Rotator Cuff Repair Revision” visual was removed from the SER Next-generation Dashboards to align with the Registry’s updated terminology. A replacement “reoperation” visual is not present but is planned for inclusion in a future update.

SER Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index Card Updates

Deployment Date: December 2024

The “Mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)” card was removed from the “Procedures” dashboard tab in SER due to the lack of available data. Pipeline issues on the “Post Discharge” dashboard tab were resolved and the “Mean CCI” card in that location now accurately reflects the full data set.

Linked-90 Day Readmission Rate by Diagnosis Visual Updates in AJRR and SER

Deployment Date: December 2024

The “Linked 90-Day Readmission Rate by Diagnosis” visual received updates in AJRR and SER. The visual now displays “National” and “Institutional” comparison bars for Authorized Users. “National,” “Institutional,” and “Your Data” comparison bars are visible to Surgeon Authorized Users to provide multiple comparative perspectives.

The layout has been adjusted for clarity, ensuring easy interpretation of the data comparisons. The values in the visual are accurate and aligned with the latest data.

National Comparison Bars in ASR and AJRR Dashboard Visuals

Deployment Date: December 2024

“National” comparison bars were added to specific dashboard visuals in ASR and AJRR. The bars reflect the latest available benchmark data and provide more context for the metrics. Authorized Users and Surgeon Authorized Users will both be able to see the new “National” comparison bars.

ASR visuals with new “National” comparison bars:

• “Procedures” tab: “Comorbidities Present on Readmission”
• “Post Discharge” tab: “Comorbidities Present on Readmission”

AJRR visuals with new “National” comparison bars:

• “Procedures” tab: “Comorbidities Present for Your Institution(s)”
• “Post Discharge” tab: “Linked 90-Day Readmission Rate by Diagnosis for Your System,” “Comorbidities Present on Readmission for Your Institution(s)”

Revision and Post-operative Visuals Update in AJRR and SER

Deployment Date: December 2024

Revision-related visuals in AJRR and SER were updated to enhance clarity and consistency. Key updates include:

• Expanded Revision Coverage: Visuals now include both procedures and post-operative cases
• Updated Denominators: All revision visuals use all index procedures as the denominator
• Enhanced Documentation: Clearer titles and explanations for visuals are provided
• "All Time" View: The view removes the previous 90-day limit, allowing full historical revision data
• Procedure Type Filtering: Filters now apply to revisions by specific procedure types, such as "hip hemiarthroplasty"

Visuals Reordering in the AJRR Dashboard

Deployment Date: December 2024

The visuals within the AJRR dashboard were reordered to improve the logical flow and enhance user experience. The updated layout ensures that related data visuals are grouped for better interpretability and accessibility.

Key Updates:

• Procedure Data Placement: The "Procedure Type" and "Your Post Discharge Procedures" charts are now prominently displayed at the top to prioritize key procedural data insights
• Revision Rate and Diagnosis: The "Your 90-Day Linked Revision Rate by Diagnosis" chart is strategically placed below the procedural data, providing a clear transition to revision insights

American Joint Replacement Registry Quality Improvement Scorecards 

Deployment Date: Q3 2024

This year, AJRR participants gained access to the Quality Improvement Scorecard on the Institution and Surgeon Dashboards in RegistryInsights. The Scorecard enhances transparency, allowing participants to track performance, benchmark against national standards, and support practice improvements.

What’s New?

• Scorecard Dashboard Tab: Track key metrics, including:
  • Unplanned 90-day readmission/admission rate
    
  • 90-day composite complication rate 
    
  • Preoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) completion rate (90-0 days pre-op) 
    
  • Postoperative 1-year PROMs completion rate (300-425 days post-op) 
    
  • Pre AND postoperative 1-year PROMs completion rate (90-0 days pre-op AND 300-425 days post-op) 
    
    • Aligns with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) / Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) Patient-reported Outcomes Performance Measure (PRO-PM) and The Joint Commission 1-year PROMs requirements 
      
• Measure Details: Measure definitions and coding lists can be found within the "2024 Scorecard Measure Specifications & Code Lists" document in the "Dashboard Guides" section of "Tools & Resources" on RegistryInsights.  
  

For more details, see the "July 2024 Registry Release Notes" in "Tools & Resources" on RegistryInsights.

View the "August 2024 Release Notes" for information on functionality updates that were made in August 2024. 

The Scorecard tooltips were updated in December 2024 to provide clearer explanations of metrics. The improved tooltip content includes numerator, denominator, and benchmark comparisons for transparency and better understanding. 

Coming Soon

• Risk-adjusted Revision Rate: A new, risk-adjusted measure to provide a deeper look into revision rates
  
• Quarterly PDF Summaries: Regular summaries to provide snapshots of your key metrics with links to the full dashboard  

To ensure all your site’s users receive the quarterly PDF summary emails, please confirm your users are current in the "Role Management" section under "Administration" on RegistryInsights. 

Tools & Resources Enhancements 

Deployment Date: July 2024

The “Tools & Resources” section of RegistryInsights has been updated to improve the organization of instructional documents. In addition to new sections categorized by document type, supplemental information is available when hovering over each document. 

For additional information on the updated “Tools & Resources” section, please view a recording of a recent office hours session that offered a preview of the new layout before it launched. 

Secure File Transfer Protocol Updates 

Deployment Date: June 2024

AAOS enhanced the security of secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) transmissions on June 17, 2024, by adhering to industry best practices and aligning with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)’s standards. These standards provide guidance on the use of cryptographically secure protocols and ciphers.  

These changes applied to all AAOS registries. The updates do not affect uploads via the HTTPS website, only uploads via SFTP client software are affected. 

Please share the “Registry SFTP Requirements for Compatibility” document with your site's IT department to ensure continued communications with the AAOS Registry SFTP service after June 17, 2024. The document can be found in the “Data Submission Tools” section of “Tools & Resources.” 

Registry Quality Collaboration with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association 

Deployment Date: Q2 2024

The AAOS announced that it is collaborating with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) to allow quality outcomes data from the AJRR and ASR to be evaluated for current and prospective Blue Distinction® Centers.  

AJRR and ASR accept the data that meet the five required quality measures for Blue Distinction Centers, and sites can submit via the Registry Program or the BCBSA Provider Survey for the 2025 Designation Evaluation. New dashboard visuals for the five measures are available in the Performance Measures tab of RegistryInsights, and a performance report for BCBSA metrics launched in May. The report recieved updates in August to improve the functionality and user experience.  

Read more about the collaboration here. View the “June 2024 Release Notes” on RegistryInsights for more information on the dashboard visuals and performance report.  

PRO Portal Updates 

Deployment Date: May 2024

The Patient-reported Outcome (PRO) Portal was updated to improve the functionality and user experience for Registry participants. These updates included: 

• New PRO Portal menu 
• Additional Patient Lookup fields 
• Kiosk Mode updates 
• Responsive mobile design 
• Clear, Save, and Submit functionalities were added 
• All survey questions display in a single screen 
• New survey completion emails 

Learn about these enhancements in the “May 2024 Release Notes” in the “Tools & Resources” section of RegistryInsights. 

PROMIS Global Update to v1.2 

Deployment Date: May 2024

We have updated the PROMIS Global responses to v1.2 of the assessment. Sites submitting on the 2024v1 AJRR PROMs file must update responses to have the assessment accurately scored for any submissions after May 9. No action is required for PRO Portal users, as the PRO Portal was updated automatically.  

Please see information on the PROMIS Global v1.2 in the “May 2024 Release Notes” on RegistryInsights. 

Shoulder & Elbow Registry Data Specifications Updates  

Deployment Date: Q2 2024

We have updated the Trigger Codes and Concomitant Codes tabs in the SER Data Specifications to support data extraction clarity. In the procedure file, at least one trigger code needs to be submitted per patient case and a concomitant code should not be submitted without a trigger code. View the new SER Data Specification versions in “Tools & Resources” on RegistryInsights.  

Resources for the CMS IQR THA/TKA PRO-PM

Deployment Date: Q1 2024

The CMS IQR THA/TKA PRO-PM mandated that pre- and postoperative data must be captured for procedures performed from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025. The AJRR offers an IQR PROMs Performance Report for tracking PROMs completion and scores for the required data elements. The report is formatted for direct submission to CMS, or you can opt in to have the AJRR submit the data to CMS on behalf of your site. 

Click here for more information on how to use the AJRR to support your site with the CMS IQR THA/TKA PRO-PM. 

Previous Enhancements 

Learn more about past enhancements here or view the monthly release notes in RegistryInsights.