Legacy of Excellence Digital Flipbook

LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

next steps, and value of the registry development in the June 2015 Bulletin . He noted, “…the clear commitment to quality as a major feature in future payment models sets the course for physicians to meaningfully participate going forward. The knowledge that this will be required allows us to proceed and develop the tools necessary for our members to be effective participants in this type of system. Our timing could not be better in terms of starting this initiative.” He further explained that a specialty based QCDR could be used to report on all four areas of focus with the new Medicare payment model and that the production of new quality measures would be expedited and approved using the registry format. This would allow the otolaryngology specialty, “with

2013: The transition in leadership for Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery occured with John H. Krouse, MD, PhD, MBA, taking on the role of Editor in Chief as Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, finished his term (2005 - 2013).

Attendees at the AAO-HNSF 2015 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO learned more about Reg-ent and how they could participate.

Equally important was the selection of the initial set of clinical topics that made the most sense and applied most broadly to otolaryngology, knowing that additional clinical conditions and procedures would be added in a phased approach to get the registry to represent the full spectrum of the specialty. The Task Force recommended FIGmd as their vendor of choice, and the Board approved this partnership on September 26, 2015. The AAO-HNSF ENT clinical data registry name and branding–Regent SM —was also approved at this time, with a slight adjustment later to Reg-ent. “The reason to establish our own registry is to take control of our own measures, so that otolaryngologists are assessed using meaningful criteria,” said Dr. Chandrasekhar, in the March 2016 Bulletin .

a broad spectrum of clinical expertise, the ability to accelerate the production of meaningful reporting and patient improvement instruments representing the needs of our members and their patients.” With the contract agreement in place with FIGmd and registry development progressing, the AAO HNSF moved into pilot testing phase with Reg-ent in September 2015. The pilot phase of Reg-ent concluded in June 2016, with 21 pilot sites and 298 individual participants from five academic sites, 16 private practices, and 12 different EHR systems. The Reg-ent launch sign-up portal deployed to the full membership July 25, 2016, and included functionality to guide enrollees through the sign up, contracting, and membership verification processes. In its first three months, Reg-ent had more than 245 practice sites and close to 2,000 clinicians signed up. Also in 2016, the Reg-ent Executive Committee convened seven Clinical Advisory Committees (CACs) to represent all of the subspecialties within otolaryngology as well as Reg-ent received approval as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry and Qualified Registry by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This designation was a critical step in providing members expanded reporting options

The timing of the AAO-HNSF development of an otolaryngology specific registry aligned with the repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) physician payment formula that was enacted in 1997 and the complexity of consolidated reporting requirements on quality, resource use, meaningful use, and clinical practice improvements. Dr. Denneny provided the members a reporting on the progress,

2012: Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery debuted a mobile app.

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