Today I met briefly with the NCDR and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database leadership team. The NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry) continues to be the most comprehensive, outcomes-based quality improvement program in the U.S. NCDR over the last couple of years has grown exponentially, to offer not only several hospital-based registries (covering ACS, carotid artery resvacs and endarterectomy procedures, diagnostic cath and PCI, and ICDs) but also the first-ever CV practice-based registry, PINNACLE. PINNACLE collects data on practice performance on CAD, hypertension, HF and AFib, and then provides practices with quarterly benchmark reports that can help them to improve performance.

ACC’s newest registry actually launched officially just last week. The IMPACT Registry will assess the prevalence, demographics, management and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease who are undergoing diagnostic catheterizations and catheter-based interventions. This registry is groundbreaking – to date, no single registry has collected sufficient national quality-focused data in this area. Its data will provide significant contributions to the knowledge base and outcomes associated with congenital heart disease.

Today’s meeting confirms what everyone who works with NCDR knows: because NCDR collects real-world data, it is uniquely positioned to help participating facilities and medical professionals identify and close gaps in quality of care, reduce wasteful and inefficient care variations and implement effective, continuous quality improvement processes.

Registry data is the future of measurement. For every trial that relies on error-fraught claims data, we need to replace it with the outcomes-based data that NCDR provides. This will help us understand what is actually happening in CV care.

AHA will feature a record number of abstracts with NCDR data. You should check them out if you’re interested in seeing how the data can be applied. Here’s a PDF listing of times and locations.