New Registry Planned for Spectrum of Neurovascular Conditions

Launch Announced at Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) 10^th Annual Meeting

MIAMI, July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) will host a new national registry, entitled the Neurovascular Quality Initiative (NVQI), which will make it possible to measure performance and outcome data across a spectrum of neurovascular conditions, to include stroke and aneurysms.  The registry, announced at the SNIS 10^th Annual Meeting in Miami, FL, will launch in fall of 2013.

The initiative marks a crucial milestone for the field of neurointervention, an innovative specialty that has come of age over the past 20 years.  "The need to document the impact of our treatments on patient outcomes and care is at a pivotal point," says Michael Alexander, MD, Professor and Vice-Chairman Director, Neurovascular Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and president of SNIS.  "NVQI offers practitioners and hospitals a quality tool that allows us, individually and collectively, to better analyze the multiple connections between what we do in the operating room and the end result for the patient.  This data is critical to helping us to understand what works well and where we need to improve."

Designed to track procedures, complications, and outcomes, for up to one year or longer, for patients treated by surgery, endovascular therapy, or medical management, the registry allows users to access in real time not only their own hospital data, but also comparison data for their region as well as the national mean.  Initially, hospitals can use the multi-module registry to track their performance in the treatment of: cerebral aneurysms, acute ischemic stroke, carotid artery disease, cerebral arteriovenous malformations, intracranial atherosclerotic disease, diagnostic angiograms and vasospasm. Modules for other conditions may be added in the near future.

According to Alexander, in addition to its role in helping to promote and maintain the highest standards of excellence in patient care, NVQI will also address a significant trend in the current healthcare environment.  As insurers are adding quality patient outcomes into the mix of criteria for reimbursement decisions, it is becoming more incumbent upon hospitals and physicians to demonstrate their success. Whereas institutions everywhere are developing their own home-grown databases and metrics to fulfill this need, NVQI can alleviate the time and resources invested in such an effort by providing one comprehensive framework that facilitates consistent tracking and streamlining of all necessary data pertaining to neurovascular treatment. 

Designed for maximum ease of use, NVQI can accommodate multiple users, allowing physicians and other qualified staff to enter key data points. For convenience, significant portions of the data entry can be facilitated via drop-down menus which require simply clicking on the applicable common variable or numeric value from the choices offered.  Additionally, registry users can enter data via a tablet with Internet access or laptop on site as the patient is proceeding through treatment, or at a later time of their choosing.

NVQI will be developed by M2S, a company that specializes in cloud-based quality improvement registries for data collection and reporting.  To ensure privacy, NVQI facilitates data entry onto a secure server via a password protected entry port.  SNIS will also form a Patient Safety Organization (PSO) around the initiative to managed formalized agreements with hospitals and provide guidance on sharing clinical outcomes and data associated with patient safety in a HIPAA compliant manner. 

"As we launch this exciting new initiative, SNIS will not only provide a way for hospitals and physicians across the nation to demonstrate their commitment to quality patient care," said Alexander, "but we'll also take bold steps to facilitate a level of analysis of our procedures, processes and outcomes that can only serve to advance neurointerventional practice."

About SNIS

Founded in 1992, the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) is represented by physicians who specialize in minimally invasive techniques to treat neurovascular conditions, including stroke, aneurysms, carotid stenosis and spinal abnormalities.  Drawing on diverse backgrounds and expertise including interventional neuroradiology, neurosurgery and neurology, these physicians are continuing to forge new pathways in the development of the distinct specialty of neurointervention.  Over the past two decades, practitioners of this field have paved the way for the scientific research and study that has resulted in new technology and revolutionary treatment approaches that have transformed the neurosciences.  In keeping with the mission of SNIS, the society remains committed to working in partnership to advance the science and medical environment that will result in enhanced quality of care for patients across the globe.  www.snisonline.org. Follow us on Twitter @SNISinfo.

SOURCE Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery