Practice Neurosurgeon Is A Guiding Force In The Creation Of A National Spine Registry
09.23.2019
Practice Neurosurgeon Is A Guiding Force In The Creation Of A National Spine Registry
The ability for spine surgeons across North America to share data about patient outcomes took a giant leap forward with the recent creation of the American Spine Registry (ASR).
Anthony Asher, MD, FAANS, FACS, a neurosurgeon at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates is Co-Chairman of the ASR. The purpose of the ASR is to collect and share information that can enhance patient care and improve clinical outcomes, as well as advance innovation in the treatment of spine disorders. This new registry is the result of an unprecedented partnership between the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
“This is an appropriate, timely and potentially paradigm-shifting partnership,” said Dr. Asher. “This combined registry represents an enhanced opportunity to positively impact the future of spine care.”
The essential foundation for the American Spine Registry was established in 2012 when the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) was founded by Dr. Asher through the AANS. Matthew McGirt, MD, of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates also played an integral role in its creation. The QOD, which is currently the nation’s largest spine registry, will be expanded to form the American Spine Registry and will collect data submitted from both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons.
“Gathering and interpreting patient-centered data from real-world practice is essential to produce meaningful improvements in the quality, effectiveness, and value of health care delivery,” said Dr. Asher, who also served as the director of the Quality Outcomes Database. “The primary goal in the creation of the ASR was to develop a national system to accurately determine how spinal surgery impacts patients’ pain, disability, and quality of life.”
Since spine surgery is performed by both neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons, the development of a common data platform will allow for the creation of a consistent, reliable quality information source for all major stakeholders including physicians, patients, payers, regulatory groups and bio-industry.
“Our success in transitioning to higher quality, more sustainable care delivery on the national level will be largely dependent on our ability to dismantle legacy barriers and encourage broad cooperation in healthcare. Specifically, we need to more routinely share essential information across medical disciplines and healthcare organizations to generate new and important insights. In that regard, this relationship has the potential to serve as a model for a more responsible and meaningful data collection standard going forward,” said Dr. Asher. “I’m proud that Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates was at the forefront of this movement and that the American Spine Registry will make a significant difference for patients in the future.”
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